Jeremy Clarkson’s 11 'stolen' Diddly Squat sheep were 'accidental miscount', police admit
The presenter-turned-farmer had warned others in the area of potential sheep thefts
Eleven sheep that Jeremy Clarkson 'stolen' sheep from Diddly Squat Farm were never missing, as police admit 'accidental miscount'.
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The 66-year-old former Grand Tour presenter had claimed 11 livestock had been taken from his 1,000 acre estate in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.
Noting the sheep were pilfered during a late-night raid from a "remote field", Clarkson urged the public to remain vigilant following the apparent thefts after he and Caleb Cooper found a number of "breeding ewes" missing following a count.
Clarkson had claimed the livestock were worth more than £2,000 at market, raising concerns of further thefts from the area.
But Thames Valley Police have now admitted that the missing sheep were actually never 'stolen', with the error a result of a miscount by Clarkson and his farm manager.
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Speaking with The Sun, the presenter said: “I don’t even know when it happened. We came down yesterday, Kaleb 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.
"They were the breeding ewes, which is genuinely annoying. They are £205 each, so over £2,000 worth of sheep were stolen. It’s annoying and it’s happening a lot.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police confirmed the force is no longer investigating a reported theft of sheep from the farm.
"Following enquiries into a reported sheep theft near Chadlington, reported on 2 September, it has been confirmed that no sheep were stolen.
"An accidental miscount was behind the report, and all sheep have now been accounted for."
It was confirmed that the discrepancy was the result of an "accidental miscount by farm staff", and "all sheep have since been accounted for".
The case has since been closed.
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