Jeremy Clarkson has reportedly declared war on local walkers at his Diddly Squat Farm by strategically placing beehives along the boundary of his property, adjacent to a public footpath, in an attempt to deter prying fans.
The former Top Gear host, 64, is said to have cunningly installed 11 beehives behind a five-foot high hedge at the entrance of a lane leading to his Cotswolds farm. The secluded one-mile-long lane is off-limits to all vehicles, but remains accessible to pedestrians.
This has led to fans of the TV star's Amazon Prime reality series, Clarkson's Farm, wandering down it in hopes of catching a glimpse of his farmhouse, where he resides with his girlfriend Lisa.
Clarkson - who is set to become a grandfather for a second time later this year - disclosed in an interview earlier this year that there had been several instances of trespassing on his property following the worldwide success of the show, which documents his rural adventures.
One local resident has spoken out about the new beehives, recalling how they were left feeling "sore for quite a few days" after being stung while walking past Clarkson's farm on a dog walk. "They are also not at a safe distance from the lane," the anonymous neighbour said.
Speaking to the MailOnline, 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."
Gerald Cooper, an elderly farmer who works with Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper on Diddly Squat Farm, hit back at the ramblers who have complained about being stung by bees from his hives, telling the publication if people don't want to be stung than they should stay away from the lane. He dismissed the complaints, saying: "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."
However, local walkers have criticised the TV star for placing the beehives where he has, with several complaining that they have been stung. Alongside the beehives, a number of signs have been erected at the entrance to the lane. One reads: 'Private Land. No access without permission.'
The beehives are said to be situated around five feet from the edge of the lane. However, beekeeping experts specifically advise against keeping hives near public footpaths due to the risk of bees attacking unsuspecting passers-by. The British Beekeepers Association advises: "Avoid placing hives facing onto a neighbour's property or near a public footpath." The Mirror has approached Clarkson's representatives for comment on this story.
Clarkson being a busy bee comes as the divisive broadcaster celebrates the opening of his brand new pub. Earlier this week, Clarkson cheekily let us in on the early opening of his new pub, which he 'accidentally' launched before its official schedule. The car lover swung open the doors to an eager public for the Euro 2024 final on Sunday evening.
Decked out with England flags, the atmosphere in the pub was electric, and the pints kept coming despite the gut-wrenching outcome for Gareth Southgate's squad. Clarkson, 64, snapped up The Windmill for a reported "less than £1 million". The charming spot is tucked away within five acres of lush Oxfordshire countryside near Burford.
It's built on a notorious former dogging site, a fact that Clarkson hasn't shied away from sharing, especially after uncovering something rather unsavoury there just last week. A mere 20-minute drive from his Diddly Squat Farm, Clarkson's fresh endeavour is tipped to become a magnet for visitors keen to sample a Hawkstone, his own brand of lager.
On Monday, Clarkson shared a clip on the Hawkstone Instagram page, boasting over 21,000 likes, revealing the impromptu opening. In the footage, Clarkson is seen serving up his renowned Hawkstone Lager to football fans. His caption read: "Last night we got a bit over excited thinking that England might....so we accidentally opened our very unfinished pub for the game .. more news to follow of a real opening much later in the summer or autumn."
The venue's status at the time of filming remains unclear - whether it was open to the public or hosting a private event. In the video, Jeremy hints at an official opening date, stating: "It's going to be very many weeks before we've got it open... but by mistake we've got very many people in here."
A sneak peek of the pub can be seen in the Instagram video shared below by Hawkstone. Fans were quick to react in the comments section. One fan quipped: "You are going to need to build a bigger pub when this opens, they'll (we) will be travelling from all over to drink/eat here! " Another chimed in with: "Will do a "Clarkson tour" to UK soon. Any tour operators offering yet?" Another fan complimented his pint pouring skills, commenting: "Nicely poured pint!"
Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads