Val Salisbury carried out the attacks at the S&A Davies site near Leominster.

Ms Salisbury, 69, is angry at the expansion of the Wickton site, growing from 200 acres to 400 acres in a year.

She walked half a mile on her frame before attacking the plants in front of Eastern European seasonal workers. The company is not taking legal action.

I thought I had to stand up for my rights for once and show that I was not happy Val Salisbury

The farm is one of four in the area owned by the company which had to pull down work on a planned complex for migrant workers in nearby Brierley after failing to get retrospective planning permission.

Mrs Salisbury said: "They are making such a mess of this beautiful countryside with all of these tunnels and there seems to be no end to them.

"At the minute one side of my house is surrounded by them and I am worried soon we will be completely fenced in.

"I don't know if it will have any affect at all but I was just so frustrated at what was happening and Herefordshire Council are not doing anything to stop it."

Police visited the scene after Mrs Salisbury returned home, but said no complaints of criminal damage were made by the site owners.

A spokesman said: "They contacted us to say an elderly and confused lady was pulling up strawberry plants and expressed concern for her safety."

400 Wembley stadiums

Jenny Ellerton, secretary of the Wickton Action Group, formed to fight the development of polytunnels, said: "It covers 400 acres which is 400 Wembley stadiums and ruins the countryside."

A spokesman for Herefordshire Council said: "We are aware that locals are unhappy but farmers are working under the Permitted Development Act which allows them to develop their land for agricultural purposes and as long as they are working within that legislation there is nothing we can do."

S & A spokesman Graham Neal said: "We carry out our growing operations within the legal requirements but we do understand that some people disagree with the tunnels.

"The company continues to invest in looking at alternative options and ways in which we can reduce the impact."