Jeremy Clarkson has hit out a shoplifter who was caught brazenly stealing from his Diddly Squat Farm shop.
The former Top Gear host, who opened the Cotswolds-based store in 2020, shared CCTV footage of the thief in the store yesterday, telling his fans ‘this man came ‘shopping’ at the farm shop’, adding that he would ‘like to meet the cu.’
The video shows a bearded man, dressed in a black long-sleeve top, black gilet and black cap, casually taking a bottle of alcohol from the top shelf before sliding it into his jacket pocket.
He then shoves another item from a nearby basket into his coat before strolling back around the store, pretending to look interested in its other products, while another man stands at the till.
Police said the two men arrived and left in the same car. While one man went to the counter and bought £69-worth of goods, the other man wearing the cap stole two bottles of alcohol and another unknown item, worth around £80.
The man is seen sneaking two items from the Diddly Squat Farm into his pocket before casually strolling around the shop
Clarkson, who has run the farm shop since 2020, told his fans ‘this man came ‘shopping’ at the farm shop’, adding that he would ‘like to meet the cu’
It is unclear when the footage was recorded or if the police have been contacted
The men entered the famous farm at around 4.15pm on Tuesday afternoon. After taking the goods they then left the shop, jumped in a vehicle and drove of in the direction of Burford, West Oxfordshire.
Police said they are investigating the incident following the report of shoplifting.
Clarkson fans were quick to comment on the post. One said: ‘Where’s security when you need them?’
A second joked: ‘When you steal from someone who has 6.7million followers and get caught on camera.’
While a third added: ‘People actually think cameras do not exist.’
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told MailOnline: ‘We received a report of shoplifting at Diddly Squat Farm Shop in Chipping Norton Road, Chadlington, at around 4.15pm yesterday (8/8).
‘Two men entered the shop after arriving in the same vehicle. One went to the till and bought £69-worth of goods while the other stole two bottles of alcohol and another unknown item, worth around £80.
‘Both men then left the shop, got back in the vehicle and drove off in the direction of Burford.’
Officers have urged anyone with information to call 101 or make a report on its website quoting the reference number 43230353268.
Alternatively, information can be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or via its website.
Last month Clarkson had another issue at his Oxfordshire site – which is the subject of the presenter’s popular TV show Clarkson’s Farm – and was forced to issue a frantic warning to customers who may have bought exploding bottles of cider.
He urgently sounded the alarm after a ‘massive cock up’ with their Hawkstone ciders.
Issuing a panicked alert, the 63-year-old tweeted: ‘F*** F*** F*** F*** F*** F***. There’s been a massive cock up and as a result, there’s a very slim chance, some of our Hawkstone CIDER bottles might, there’s no easy way of saying this, explode.’
He added: ‘If the cap has the code L3160, open it underwater, pour it away and get in touch for a refund. [email protected].
The man appeared to look on his phone before deciding which item he was going to steal
He is then seen lifting up one of the items from the top shelf, while another man is seen waiting by the counter
Here the man is seen placing the item into his coat jacket before he wanders around the shop and picks up a second item
‘Really sorry about this but on the upside, the beer is fine and still delicious. As is the cider, in bottles that are unaffected. Which is almost all of them.’
One customer responded to Clarkson’s tweet with a photo of the cider bottle, with the L3160 code, tweeting: ‘Like this? I had one last night and it was amazing, was looking forward to this one tonight.’
The Who Wants To Be A Millionaire host replied: ‘Open it while wearing a Hurt Locker suit.’
Another joked: ‘The cider is delicious really taste the apple I won’t let a little explosive cider put me off.’
The presenter responded: ‘Most cider you drink is made from concentrate. Ours is made with actual apples.’
Clarkson and the Costwold Brew Co launched the range of drinks back in 2021.
The Diddly Squat Farm social media page said that the bottles were exploding due to ‘over fermenting’.
It added: ‘If you have any of this batch it is important to dispose of it now under the water tap and take care as these are in glass bottles – then take a photo of the caps and we will send you a fresh batch or a refund … whichever you choose…if you have already drunk the cider please don’t worry – apologies from us all …’.
In June, Clarkson won a prolonged battle with the local council to extend the car park at his Oxfordshire-based site
Mr Clarkson joked with customers who had already opened some of the dodgy batch of ciders
The exploding cider came weeks after Clarkson won his battle with West Oxfordshire District Council to provide more car parking at his Diddly Squat farm.
The TV star had been locked in a bitter row with the council for more than a year after it refused to grant permission for him to extend the shop’s parking facilities.
Lack of parking space for visitors resulted in long queues of cars being left on the side of country roads causing boggy mounds and damaging land.
It triggered outrage among some locals in the leafy village of Chadlington.
But finally in June the council gave way for the extension and for change of use of the land.
Proposals to add a restaurant onto the popular site, however, were turned down.
MailOnline has contacted Clarkson.
