Jeremy Clarkson has hit back at moaning local ramblers who complained they risk being stung after he put up beehives around the perimeter of his Diddly Squat farm.
The TV presenter sarcastically dismissed walkers’ concerns with a ‘diddums’ post on X after they complained about him placing the beehives next to a public footpath near his farmhouse to keep out nosey fans.
Several ramblers told they had been stung while out walking along a mile long lane leading to his Cotswolds home.
But the star of ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ was uncompromising in his dismissal of their concerns.
Taking to social media the 64-year-old wrote on X, formerly Twitter, to say: ‘Hilariously, the Mail reports that ramblers are being stung by my bees. Diddums.’
He followed this with another post saying: ‘I put some bee hives there because that’s the regen field and there are many things they like to pollinate. And now I’m in trouble because someone might get stung. Who’d be a farmer?’
The war of words is the latest in a long running battle Clarkson has had with locals since he opened Diddly Squat Farm near the village of Chadlington in Oxfordshire four years ago and is featured in the successful Amazon TV series.
The roaring success of the show and Clarkson’s world-famous farm shop has caused havoc on the country roads surrounding his 1,000-acre farm.
Thousands of visitors’ flock to the area leading to roads being clogged with traffic – much to the anger and dismay of locals who say he has ruined the quiet countryside for commercial gain.
The placement of the bee hives follows Clarkson venting his anger at fans who have strolled into his property having gained access by a public footpath.
In an interview earlier this year he recalled one incident when he was sitting in his kitchen only to be confronted by a stranger who he thought was a member of the film crew.
He said: ‘He was looking at me writing the voiceover for Clarkson’s Farm and said, ‘Oh, is this the new series?’
‘I said, ‘Yeah.’ I was chatting away, then suddenly went, ‘Who are you?’ And he went, ‘I was just passing.’ I said, ‘No, I’m sorry, you cannot just walk into somebody’s house and pull up a chair.’
In another incident he said his partner Lisa emerged from the shower to find a couple having a look around their home.
But locals who use the path say they have been stung and are now forced to avoid using the footpath.
One resident who did not want to be named told : ‘I was out with my dog walking past the beehives and got stung on my head. It really hurt and was feeling sore for quite a few days. They are also not at a safe distance from the lane.’
Another added: ‘I got stung a few weeks ago and don’t go up there anymore. He doesn’t want people looking at his house or going in there and that’s understandable.
‘I understand that Jeremy doesn’t want fans walking onto his land to try and find him – but it seems a bit dangerous to have so many beehives close to a public lane hidden behind a big hedge.’
The beehives are located around five feet from the edge of the lane, but beekeeping experts specifically warn owners not to keep hives near public footpaths in case the bees attack unwitting passers-by.
The British Beekeepers Association advises: ‘Avoid placing hives facing onto a neighbour’s property or near a public footpath.’
But Gerald Cooper, the no-nonsense, straight-talking star of Clarkson’s Farm, hit back at the ramblers – and told that anybody suffering one only had themselves to blame.
‘If people don’t want to be stung then they should keep away from the lane,’ he said. ‘People who are from outside the area shouldn’t be up there anyway.
‘It’s the summer, there are a lot of bees flying around and bee stings happen. What’s the fuss? These bees are not dangerous, I don’t know what people are moaning about.’
Fans favourite Mr Cooper, 74, works alongside Clarkson on the show and revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis on it recently.
Clarkson announced towards the end of season three, which aired earlier this year, that his good friend had beaten cancer after several radiotherapy sessions.
When asked by about his health, Mr Cooper gave a thumbs up sign and joked: ‘I’m great and so are the bees.’
In addition to the beehives, a number of signs on a gate at the entrance to the lane have also been put up. One states: ‘Private Land. No access without permission.’ Another declares: ‘Footpath only. No horses bikes or vehicles.’
An adjoining sign warns: ‘Bull in field,’ although locals revealed that they had never actually seen one there.
Clarkson’s new found appreciation for apiculture – the raising of honey bees – mirrors that of his famous near Cotswold neighbour David Beckham.
The football star claimed in his book that he used bees as a defence against people peering into his £12m mansion he shares with wife Victoria.
The former England and Manchester United winger had erected beehives close to a public footpath that runs past his home, leaving locals angry.
One said: ‘It feels like a pretty strange thing to do.
‘It feels like he’s trying to get people to avoid the footpath. Otherwise, why put them so close to the footpath when he has at least two very large fields to the north and south of the house to put them on?’