THE appearance of a crop circle in Dorset has been creating a buzz around the county.

The formation, which depicts the Tree of Life – a mystical symbol used in the ancient Jewish tradition of Kabbalah – has appeared on farmland near Badbury Rings.

It is the third crop circle to appear near Blandford in recent years.

Crop circles, or crop formations, are patterns produced by flattening crops. Experts agree that they are man-made, although some people claim there are mysterious or alien forces behind the patterns.

Paul Jacobs, who runs the Core Group Initiative, is administering visits to the crop circle on behalf of tenant farmer John Chapel.

Members of the public can visit the crop circle between 9am and 9pm for an entry fee of £3.

The majority of the proceeds will be donated to charity, with a proportion going to John to compensate him for the loss of crop.

The number of crop circles has declined in the UK over recent years, and Paul says they are “quite rare” in Dorset.

“This latest crop circle is a series of circles and dots interconnected with avenues in a geometric pattern,” Paul explained.

“The Core Group Initiative manages crop circles for farmers free of charge. People who visit a crop circle will usually just walk into a field and damage more crops, but we alleviate that by organising a planned route.

“I do most of my work in Wiltshire and have raised over £20,000 for charity so far.

“I’ve raised £600 in a week for the crop circle near Badbury Rings, which will go to the Shapwick community hall project and Brighter Futures.

“People have kept on coming to visit it, even when it’s been raining,” he added.

John, who runs Bishops Court Farm, said while the crop circle was “a nuisance” at first, the intervention of the Core Group Initiative had improved the experience.

“I’m quite laid back about it now. As long as everyone behaves properly, it’s a positive. A labouring farmer nearby had a crop circle a few years ago and Paul stepped in, so he was the ideal person to take care of this one. He’s very organised and a good host,” he said.

“We’re raising a bit of money for charity and the church, and I’ll get a smaller proportion of the proceeds.”

In 2015, a crop circle resembling a Celtic design appeared in a field at Thornicombe near Blandford and could be observed from the A354.