MORE than 2,000 people have rallied to save West Somerset College’s £1.4 million farm unit after news that it is “not sustainable” in its present form.

And coincidentally the devastating news came just before hundreds of people turned out to see the work done at the unit on its annual lambing fun day.

Bridgwater College Trust, which has taken over the management of the debt-ridden college, would only say this week that it was exploring different options for the farm, describing it as “an increasingly expensive resource”.

But the Free Press was told that redundancy has been discussed with the farm’s staff, student courses would be abandoned and herds of livestock, built up over nearly a decade, probably dispersed to local farms.

A Facebook Group called Save Our College Farm, started on Monday, gained nearly 1,000 members in the first 24 hours and contains hundreds of comments from the public and past and present students pleading that “this wonderful place” should somehow be kept open.

Former college student Tasha Lothian, who set up the page and an online petition, wrote on her home-page that the farm closure “would be a tragedy for all future students and the community and it gives great opportunities and many people benefit from the farm.”

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