Decided to go for a walk this morning rather than go out on the bike and I was following a marked footpath across fields locally when I came across an unmarked electic fence right across the path.

Can farmers do this – if not who do I complain to?

No, local council RoW officer.

Was it on? Could you just step over it.

First time in the countryside?

or was the footpath crossing a field boundary, with the electric fence there to keep the livestock in? if so, there should've been a stile or gate somewhere nearby

It was on. And there was no where to get around it. The top wire was about 2.5 foot high – my legs aren't quite that long 😯 It wasn't marked as electric as others in the are are.

The footpath crosses the field and the electric fance was about 15ft inside of the boundary. The footpath went from corner to corner of the field. I normally walk the hedgerow rather than go diagonally across a field unless there is an obvious footpath, but there was no way of doing that due to the electric fence.

I've seen plenty of electric fences whilst out walking and even when they aren't marked as such you can normally tell, but I have never come across on that goes across the footpath before. Seems like the farmer was deliberatly going across the path to hinder.

does indeed sound like it. Call your local council RoW officer