Police are currently investigating the reported theft of 11 sheep from Jeremy Clarkson’s farm in the Cotswolds. The 66-year-old former television host, now a farmer, made the distressing discovery while counting his flock alongside his friend and co-star Kaleb Cooper.
Clarkson expressed his upset at the incident, saying, “It’s upset me… you can’t ever form a bond with a sheep. Anyone who has anything stolen knows it’s awful, but to have animals stolen is really galling. They were happy here. This is my favourite field on the farm.”
He directly appealed to the thieves with a stern warning: “Put them back.”
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Discussing his contact with the police, Clarkson noted, “The police have been very good, actually. After navigating through over 700 hours of recorded messages, I eventually spoke with a helpful officer. I said, ‘I know this might sound old-fashioned, but I’ve had some sheep stolen.’ She checked the details and remarked, ‘Oh, not your Easycares.’ She must watch the programme, since they are indeed Easycares.”
The Easycare breed is known for being low-maintenance, requiring minimal shepherding and veterinary care, and needing no shearing.
Clarkson did not hold back in his message to the culprits: “Put them back. It’s a farm. We’re armed. Just so they know. It really annoys me. Honestly, it just pisses me off.”
He is uncertain about the exact timing of the theft, suspecting that some sheep are also missing from another field about a mile away, and emphasised that Easycare sheep are unique to his farm.
The loss of 11 sheep is estimated to cost around £2,000.
Clarkson added that Diddly Squat farm is usually under constant watch, with a film crew on-site and a drone overhead, leading him to believe the theft occurred during a time without filming activity, either during the day or night.