Jeremy Clarkson fumes it’s ‘completely out of hand’ as he makes worrying Diddly Squat crime admission
Jeremy Clarkson, 64, has claimed that he and his fellow farmers are having to rally around to think of way to combat the spike in burglaries near his Cotswolds farm.
Based in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, Clarkson has claimed that thieves have been targeting farms like his as criminals seek to pocket valuable items from farmland.
The Grand Tour star is no stranger to dealing with bouts of theft since opening the doors to his own pub back in August, claiming it’s costing him a small fortune to constantly replace the glassware being taken from The Farmer’s Dog each day.
While he’s implemented anti-theft measures at his pub in Asthall near Burford, Clarkson has revealed that he and his farming chums are constantly having to think of ways to deter thieves from targeting their farms.
Writing in his latest column, Clarkson pulled no punches as he took swipes at the police for failing to deal with the problem.
He began by revealing that a friend of his in London had recently complained about thefts in the borough of Hampstead, which prompted Clarkson to reflect on issues closer to his Cotswolds home.
“Even out in the leafy sticks where I live, things have recently got completely out of hand,” Clarkson explained.
Delving into examples to back up his claim, Clarkson revealed: “Only last weekend, a mate came round to say thieves had cut the wires to his security lighting and alarm system and broken into his barn.”
The Clarkson’s Farm star then revealed that the police did attend the scene of the incident and although the robbers were disturbed, they soon returned and “helped themselves to his quad bike and motorcycle”.
Taking a dig at the state of politically correct policing, the 64-year-old mused: “I guess the problem is simple. The crims know that even if they are caught, which is highly unlikely, they can claim to have asthma, and they’ll get a small fine and a new inhaler.”
As a result, Clarkson and his fellow Cotswolds farmers have banded together to try and find a solution to the threat of burglers in the Oxfordshire area.
He explained that suggestions have ranged from paying private security teams to packs of dogs, although neither has come to fruition due to the risks and flaws in both plans.
When “another friend” suggested keeping shotguns close by, Clarkson raised the case of “an elderly couple in Nottinghamshire who were robbed of all their jewellery in a raid” only to find themselves quizzed for hours by police about owning the legal firearms.
In the end, the former Top Gear star had a typically Clarkson-esque solution to the problem, suggesting as he rounded off his column in The Sun: “By far the best solution, I think, is to explain to the constabulary that they can only investigate a hate crime incident on social media if every burglary on their patch has been cleared up.
“And to the judiciary that burglars need to spend some time in a cell with a burly man called Omar the Strangler. Not sent home with some food and a gift voucher.”
While Clarkson is having to deal with threats of burglary at Diddly Squat, he’s also having to contemplate more government measures that he’s claimed could leave pubs like his at risk.
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Last month, Clarkson said that campaigners calling for stricter limits on drink-driving could put punters off from going to their local pub.
With the industry already one on its knees, the 64-year-old feared this could only add further to owners’ woes – and even lead to closures.
Meanwhile, he’s been enjoying time out of the country this week alongside his righthand man and farm manager, Kaleb Cooper.
Clarkson’s Farm fans were gobsmacked to discover Clarkson had convinced his famously creature-of-comfort co-star to leave the UK for the first time as the pair shared snaps from Bruges, Belgium.