Furious Jeremy Clarkson demands return of stolen sheep
Furious Jeremy Clarkson has called in police after 11 of his sheep were stolen - with the Clarkson's Farm star telling the thieves: "Put them back."
Furious Jeremy Clarkson has called in police after 11 of his sheep were stolen.
The Clarkson's Farm star is livid after a number of his beloved Easycare flock were snatched from his Diddly Squat farm in the English Cotswolds with the TV presenter estimating them to be worth around £2,000 and admitting he fears more may be missing from his fields.
He told The Sun newspaper: "The police have been very good, actually ... I said: 'I know it’s going to sound like I’m from 1856, but I’ve had some sheep stolen'.
"She went through the name and address and then she said: 'Oh, not your Easycares'. She’s obviously been watching the show, but it is the Easycares."
Clarkson went on to demand the return of his animals, saying: "Put them back. It’s a farm. We’re armed. Just so they know. It p***** me off. Honestly, it just p***** me off ...
"I don’t even know when it happened. We came down yesterday, [co-star] Kaleb [Cooper] and I, and actually counted sheep, which is quite difficult to do without dozing off.
"There are 11 that have gone missing from this field, and we think there are some missing from the other field – there are 140 or so in a field a mile or so away.
"Nobody else has got Easycares, which is what these are. They’re supposedly easy to care for. I just sold 24 of them at the sheep market the other day, and they went for £205 each, so it’s over £2,000 of sheep gone missing."
The former Top Gear host went on to add: "It’s upset me ... you can’t ever form a bond with a sheep. Anyone who has anything stolen, it’s awful. But to have animals stolen, it’s really galling.
"They were happy here. ... They have been taken, realistically. There’s no other explanation. There are no carcasses.
"We’ve been through the woods and there are no sheep droppings in there. They’re not in the woods. They’re not on the neighbouring farm. The only option left is that they’ve been taken.
"It just feels like we’re in the 17th century here ... sheep rustling."
When asked what he would do if he caught the thieves in the act, he said: "I’ll be pretty cross. I would lock the gate, lock them in. Then they can’t get their car out."
A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police is investigating the theft of a number of sheep from a farm in Chadlington. The theft has occurred at some point over the last ten days and was unwitnessed.
"The theft was reported to the force on Wednesday. No arrests have been made. We would ask anybody who has information that may assist this investigation to contact Thames Valley Police."
