Mirror visits Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm Shop

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Teenage workers on Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat farm are allegedly having to “wear body cameras” after locals directed “abuse” at them. The presenter has reportedly had to take extra safety precautions as a result.

The former Top Gear presenter documents Clarkson’s Farm on his Amazon Prime series but not all of his neighbours are happy.

The Grand Tour host, 62, even decided to close his Diddly Squat restaurant after it was slapped with enforcement notices by the council.

It comes as Jeremy continues to get approval on his expansion plans after they were turned down last May by the council.

In a fresh battle with West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) a two-day meeting took place.

A discussion took place, to discuss the farm’s fate, earlier this week and it was revealed employees are suffering “abuse” from locals.

On Wednesday, Annabel Gray, 32, who works on a catering trailer at Clarkson’s farm, said that 16-year-old workers on the farm have had to “wear body cameras” as a precaution following “abuse” directed at them by villagers.

She said: “Diddly Squat has an important opportunity to educate people about local farming and I find it really frustrating that the council is overlooking that.

“This is a massive, massive opportunity for WODC. I am begging you that this is something that can be improved on rather than turn your back on.”

In addition, members of WODC have received ‘”abusive death threats” after they turned down expansion plans.

The authority said in a statement: “Unfortunately we have had to take safety precautions following a number of threats and abuse directed at councillors and local people since the airing of Season 2 of Clarkson’s Farm.”

They added: “This has included death threats and as a result we have had to consider a range of safety measures to protect councillors, staff and residents.

“We understand people may not agree with decisions taken by the council but there is no place for threatening or abusive behaviour.

“It damages the democratic process when people feel intimidated and do not feel safe to express the opinions they are entitled to.”

It is understood threats were reportedly made some time after the second season of the show aired on February 10.

Chadlington Parish Council chairman Andrew Hutchings claimed there was “a range of opinions” on the farm in the village, but most agreed that it had “clearly outgrown what it was built for”.

He said: “We have reached a tipping point between a farm shop and a tourist-type attraction for people who want to see the celebrity as well as the farm.

“The problem comes when you have too many visitors… the traffic is a major issue to the community at large.

“It’s very hard to see the proposed car park dealing with that at peak times.”

The council claimed the car park expansion indicates a change in the use of the land for “leisure activities”.

In August 2022 he was ordered to close dining areas at the farm over an alleged planning law breach.

Express.co.uk has contacted Jeremy Clarkson’s representatives for comment.

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