A firefighter has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the death of a Somerset farmer.

Harold Lee, 75, was trampled to death when a herd of cows he was guiding along a country road were apparently spooked by the fire engine which approached with lights flashing and sirens blazing.

Mr Lee’s son Richard, who was helping his dad with the cows, claims that the driver of the fire engine had initially turned off the sirens but became impatient when the cows failed to move quickly and he then put the sirens back on.

The startled dairy cows turned and stampeded back over the farmer, leaving him with serious head and chest injuries from which he died six days later.

Yesterday it emerged that a 49-year-old man, understood to be a firefighter, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence.

It follows a full police investigation into the tragic incident.

Andrew Lee, 47, the victim’s eldest son who also works at Robins Farm in Burtle, Somerset, yesterday praised the arrest as a “step toward justice”.

He said: “Personally I think the fireman is responsible for my father’s death and it certainly could have been avoided.

“If he had turned the siren off dad would still be alive today.

“We want to see justice done and to prevent accidents like this happening to other families.

“The last six months have been very tough and hard on us.

“The arrest is very good news and the police have been absolutely excellent to us as a family – we have been kept up to date throughout their investigation.

“Things are still pretty raw at the moment and it will continue to be until we get some answers as to why he died.

“We understand they were trying to get to an accident but there was no need for them to have their sirens going.

“We want to draw a line under everything and put this behind us so we are very pleased things are moving forwards.”

The accident occurred at about 3.20pm on August 11 last year as the father-and-son duo were herding 100 Holstein Friesians on a quad bike towards their milking parlour.

However, as they moved the cows 100 yards along a country road, a fire engine on its way to a 999 call approached from the opposite direction.

Son Richard, who was at the head of the herd, says the driver of the fire engine turned off the siren and lights as he approached.

But after speaking to Richard, the fireman allegedly turned the siren and lights back on in an attempt to force his way through the cattle.

His father, who was at the rear of the herd, had dismounted to try and calm the animals but he was trampled when they were spooked by the sirens and stampeded.

He suffered serious chest and head injuries and was airlifted to Royal United Hospital in Bath before being transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, where he later died.

Avon and Somerset Police yesterday confirmed that a 49-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence and had been bailed.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service refused to comment.