He had fought against depression for three years and his wife Lorna, their two young sons, and other family members have been left distraught by his death.

In a statement, they said: “Ian was a kind and gentle family man, a prominent member of Kirklinton Young Farmers Club, a respected stocksman and dairy farmer.

“This disease, which is the scourge of so many successful and talented people, is indiscriminate, difficult to treat and causes torment to so many families.

They received the 2005 Quality Award from First Milk, one of the UK’s only farmer-owned dairy businesses, for the consistently high standard of their milk.

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