Jeremy Clarkson claims that a police operator threatened to investigate him for ‘racist behaviour’ after he called two men he thought were travellers and reported them for allegedly being suspicious around his farm.
The 61-year-old, who runs 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, wrote in his Sunday Times column about a recent run-in with ‘a couple of chaps’ who appeared on his drive asking for selfies.
He was suspicious of their motives, as there had been a “lot of burglaries” in the area, he had just received two puppies, and he had seen a drone inspecting his property just a few minutes earlier.
He dialled 101 for non-emergency, but became bored and called 999. There, a female operator asked him to describe them. The journalist claimed that they were ‘travellers’. However, the woman asked him to continue and said that if he continued, she would ‘open up a new line for inquiry into racist behaviour’.
Mr Clarkson – pictured with his girlfriend, Lisa Hogan – runs 1,000-acre Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire
Clarkson explained why he was suspicious of the men by writing that a neighbor recently found a crashed drone within his garden that contained aerial footage of all the large homes in the area’.
He continued the story by saying: “So I was a bit concerned last Wednesday when I looked up and saw another drone hovering above my farmyard.
“And then, I was even more worried that evening when a couple of guys came up to the drive in a Mk 1 murderer’s special Land Rover Discovery. The Kenny Noye edition.
Clarkson said that the men asked for selfies – which was not unusual as he gets a lot of visitors – but that there was something about them that I didn’t like.
He wrote, “There have been several burglaries in the vicinity recently – and he’d just received two puppies,”
“And there had been that drone scouting site just a few hour earlier.”
He gave up on 101 because it was too slow. He said he was then introduced to a young woman who asked him to describe the men.
He wrote, “She seemed to think that I was reporting someone for wanting to take a selfie.” ‘But she did at most ask me to describe them, so that I could say they were travellers.
“There was a pause and then she said that she would open a new inquiry into racism if I continued on this path.
“That was scary, and it was tricky, because how do I describe someone without bringing in colour, religion, or race?
He described a recent encounter with “a couple of chaps” who asked for selfies on his drive.
Clarkson stated that he told the operator that the men had presented themselves as travelers.
He claimed that the police eventually arrived at his farm, but he was fed up with them. He suggested that there are many other officers.
Top Gear’s presenter complained that while they want to fight crime and are willing to do so, their hands are tied because of idiotic inclusivity and the need for a burglar to not bang his head when he gets into the Vauxhall.
Clarkson’s Farm stars Clarkson, a television presenter who helps to raise crops and care for livestock on his land in the Cotswolds.
Clarkson bought the farm in 2008. It was managed by a local contractor. Clarkson retired in 2019, and decided to try his hand at running it.
He won the British Farming Awards’ flying the flag award for British agriculture on Thursday.
After being presented with the prize at the Birmingham event, Vernon Kay hosted, he praised Kaleb Cooper as well as the staff of his farm.
MailOnline reached out the Thames Valley Police to provide comment
Clarkson said, “Kaleb! I couldn’t do this without you. You are the star of our show, apart Gerald.
“But what was great, and I’m certain everyone in the room will say the same thing: Every farm has Gerald, every farmer has Charlie, every farmer has Kevin, every farmer has Ellen, every farmer has a landowner, and every farm have a Kaleb.
Environment Secretary George Eustice praised Clarkson’s Farm.
He spoke at a Conservative Party conference earlier this month and said that Jeremy Clarkson’s program has done a lot to raise awareness about agriculture and the challenges it faces.
‘It is sort of a Top Gear-meets-Countryfile type of programme I think.’
Amazon Prime Video announced in July that it had ordered a second series Clarkson’s Farm.
He was granted urgent planning permission to construct a new cattle shed just in time for his herd’s calving in the New Year.
MailOnline reached out to Thames Valley Police for comment.