Jeremy Clarkson has issued a warning to livestock thieves after 11 sheep were stolen from his Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire.
Police are investigating after the former Top Gear presenter discovered more than a third of his flock was missing when he went to count the animals with Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper.
Clarkson had 27 Easycare sheep, but only 16 remained when the flock was checked at the farm near Chadlington.
Clarkson warns thieves: ‘We’re armed’
The 66-year-old urged those responsible to return the animals and issued a stark warning.
“It’s a farm. We’re armed. Just so they know,” Clarkson said.
He also expressed his anger over the theft, saying the disappearance of the animals had left him furious.
The missing sheep are estimated to be worth more than £2,000 at market, while Clarkson said their potential value with lambs could reach as much as £8,000 for meat.
Police investigate suspected night-time raid
Clarkson believes the animals may have been taken during the night or on a day when camera crews were not working at the farm.
The sheep themselves have appeared in series five of Clarkson’s Farm.
He said he was also concerned that other livestock elsewhere on the sprawling Cotswolds farm could have been taken.
While Clarkson acknowledged the popularity of his television programme could potentially make the property more of a target, he said he did not believe the sheep had necessarily been stolen because they belonged to Diddly Squat.
Thames Valley Police is investigating the theft.
Clarkson bought the land in 2008 and began farming it himself in 2019. The operation has since become internationally known through the hit television series Clarkson’s Farm.
