Their intricate designs and the shear impressive size of them takes meticulous planning and precision execution. And the resulting crop circle, while illegal and irritating to the farmer whose field has been targeted, is usually visually stunning. But while some crop circles are remembered for their perfect symmetry and unique patterns, others are slightly less impressive. A series of recent attempts at producing circles have been been met with much derision by fans of the field art after they recently appeared in Wiltshire. Not very impressive: This image of a heart appeared in a field of crops in Cherhill, Wiltshire . Rubbish: The heart shaped crop circle appeared in the fields below the Westbury White Horse in Wiltshire . How it should look? A slightly more impressive crop circle featuring a heart which appeared in a nearby field in Wiltshire in August 2000 . Insiders say a number of top crop circle makers have quit following a clampdown by farmers and moved onto making sand circles, which are legal. In previous years, impressive crop circles have drawn in thousands of tourists to southern England and some believers who saw the circles as the work of aliens. But this year visitors have been disappointed by just a handful of crude patterns such as a square, a heart and a small uneven circle. Former crop circlemaker Matthew Williams - who has given up his hobby because he suffers from hayfever - said the lack of competition is driving down standards. He said: 'The problem is that the . best croppies have retired or gone onto something new, so there isn't . any competition any more. 'They're all creative types, and without any friendly rivalry, many just can't be bothered. 'All . the best crop circles from the last few years have been made by only a . handful of people, and they've all hung up their wooden board now and . moved onto pastures new.' Bizarre: The prankster's attempts at a crop circle in this Devizes field did not go quite to plan, you can't really make out what the shape is supposed to be . Poor effort: This attempt at a crop circle is one of 15 to have appeared across the county so far this year . A better attempt: This stunning crop circle appeared in nearby Calne in August 2000 . Matt, 42, reckons the 15 less than impressive circles that have appeared this year were created by amateurs. In comparison, seasoned veterans had produced more than 50 by this time last year. He said: 'Julian Richardson, one of the best croppies ever, has moved on to making sand circles instead. 'He wants to try something different and I think he's fed up with believers trying to make money from his hobby - that he never made a penny for. 'I've retired due to hayfever, and a couple of my peers have just given up as well - it's becoming too difficult. 'The farmers are getting angrier, the believers are getting too demanding and we're still not making any money.' Matt hit the headlines in 2006 when he became the first person ever to be convicted of criminal damage for creating a crop circle in a field of wheat. What is it? It's anyone's guess as to what the creator of this circle was trying to depict . It's a mystery: Even a close up of the crop formation doesn't give any clues as to what it is supposed to be . More like it: Perhaps the creators of this year's formation was hoping to produce something a little like this image which appeared in Chilbolton, Wiltshire in August 2000 . He was caught after setting up a sting to debunk a Ufologist's claim that he could communicate with aliens and would get them to make a specific shape in a field. Farmers across Wiltshire and Hampshire are also fed up with crop circles and tourists looking to have a 'out of body experience' inside them. Some have taken the drastic step of mowing the formations out of their fields as soon as they appear. Dutch crop circle 'expert' Monique Klinkenbergh tried to set up a pass scheme to charge people to look at the circles and walk inside them. The £60 season ticket was intended to bring in revenue for farmers but it has flopped after it allowed access to only two formations. Gone: It is thought that the people behind crop circles such as this one which appeared at Calne in August 2000 have moved on to pastures new . Monique and two colleagues Derek Viner and Charles Mallett set up a crop circle information centre at a garden centre in Woodborough, Wiltshire . Matt added: 'Loads of the boys are quitting making them now, because it's being ruined by outsiders like Klinkenbergh who are trying to make money from our hobby. 'We in the circle making community are outraged that outsiders like Klinkenbergh would come in and take over, trying to interfere. 'Farmers are sick to their back teeth too and are cutting more circles out of their field than ever before - if it continues like this, then there won't be any circles at all next year. 'It's such a shame, because myself and a lot of people have had a great deal of fun with crop circles over the years.'
Just 15 poor attempts at crop circles have appeared in Wiltshire this year .
Last year, seasoned crop artists had already produced more than 50 .
Tourists and those hoping for an alien encounter used to flock to the county .
But this year's attempts have been met with derision by enthusiasts .
A crackdown by farmers has deterred many top crop circle makers .
Their intricate designs and the shear impressive size of them takes meticulous planning and precision execution. And the resulting crop circle, while illegal and irritating to the farmer whose field has been targeted, is usually visually stunning. But while some crop circles are remembered for their perfect symmetry and unique patterns, others are slightly less impressive. A series of recent attempts at producing circles have been been met with much derision by fans of the field art after they recently appeared in Wiltshire. Not very impressive: This image of a heart appeared in a field of crops in Cherhill, Wiltshire . Rubbish: The heart shaped crop circle appeared in the fields below the Westbury White Horse in Wiltshire . How it should look? A slightly more impressive crop circle featuring a heart which appeared in a nearby field in Wiltshire in August 2000 . Insiders say a number of top crop circle makers have quit following a clampdown by farmers and moved onto making sand circles, which are legal. In previous years, impressive crop circles have drawn in thousands of tourists to southern England and some believers who saw the circles as the work of aliens. But this year visitors have been disappointed by just a handful of crude patterns such as a square, a heart and a small uneven circle. Former crop circlemaker Matthew Williams - who has given up his hobby because he suffers from hayfever - said the lack of competition is driving down standards. He said: 'The problem is that the . best croppies have retired or gone onto something new, so there isn't . any competition any more. 'They're all creative types, and without any friendly rivalry, many just can't be bothered. 'All . the best crop circles from the last few years have been made by only a . handful of people, and they've all hung up their wooden board now and . moved onto pastures new.' Bizarre: The prankster's attempts at a crop circle in this Devizes field did not go quite to plan, you can't really make out what the shape is supposed to be . Poor effort: This attempt at a crop circle is one of 15 to have appeared across the county so far this year . A better attempt: This stunning crop circle appeared in nearby Calne in August 2000 . Matt, 42, reckons the 15 less than impressive circles that have appeared this year were created by amateurs. In comparison, seasoned veterans had produced more than 50 by this time last year. He said: 'Julian Richardson, one of the best croppies ever, has moved on to making sand circles instead. 'He wants to try something different and I think he's fed up with believers trying to make money from his hobby - that he never made a penny for. 'I've retired due to hayfever, and a couple of my peers have just given up as well - it's becoming too difficult. 'The farmers are getting angrier, the believers are getting too demanding and we're still not making any money.' Matt hit the headlines in 2006 when he became the first person ever to be convicted of criminal damage for creating a crop circle in a field of wheat. What is it? It's anyone's guess as to what the creator of this circle was trying to depict . It's a mystery: Even a close up of the crop formation doesn't give any clues as to what it is supposed to be . More like it: Perhaps the creators of this year's formation was hoping to produce something a little like this image which appeared in Chilbolton, Wiltshire in August 2000 . He was caught after setting up a sting to debunk a Ufologist's claim that he could communicate with aliens and would get them to make a specific shape in a field. Farmers across Wiltshire and Hampshire are also fed up with crop circles and tourists looking to have a 'out of body experience' inside them. Some have taken the drastic step of mowing the formations out of their fields as soon as they appear. Dutch crop circle 'expert' Monique Klinkenbergh tried to set up a pass scheme to charge people to look at the circles and walk inside them. The £60 season ticket was intended to bring in revenue for farmers but it has flopped after it allowed access to only two formations. Gone: It is thought that the people behind crop circles such as this one which appeared at Calne in August 2000 have moved on to pastures new . Monique and two colleagues Derek Viner and Charles Mallett set up a crop circle information centre at a garden centre in Woodborough, Wiltshire . Matt added: 'Loads of the boys are quitting making them now, because it's being ruined by outsiders like Klinkenbergh who are trying to make money from our hobby. 'We in the circle making community are outraged that outsiders like Klinkenbergh would come in and take over, trying to interfere. 'Farmers are sick to their back teeth too and are cutting more circles out of their field than ever before - if it continues like this, then there won't be any circles at all next year. 'It's such a shame, because myself and a lot of people have had a great deal of fun with crop circles over the years.'
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