Police say 11 sheep ‘stolen’ from Jeremy Clarkson’s farm were never actually stolen

Police have said the sheep stolen from Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat were never actually stolen in the first place.

Earlier this month, Clarkson said 11 of his beloved Easycare sheep were pinched from his Oxfordshire farm and demanded the thieves ‘put them back’.

The 66-year-old said he noticed that his sheep had vanished during a count with his employee and Clarkson’s Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper.

Clarkson said he then immediately contacted the cops who launched an investigation.

Speaking to The Sun, Clarkson said: “The police have been very good, actually.

“Once you go through 700 hours of recorded messages, I got through to a girl.

“I said, ‘I know it’s going to sound like I’m from 1856, but I’ve had some sheep stolen’.

“She went through the name and address and then she said, ‘oh, not your Easycares’.

Clarkson noticed the sheep were missing when he went to do a count with Kaleb Cooper (Prime Video)

"She’s obviously been watching the show, but it is the Easycares.”

He also issued a rather terrifying warning to any would-be thieves, adding: “It’s a farm. We’re armed. Just so they know.”

The former Top Gear host said the sheep were worth around £2,000 at market and he also expressed concerns that other sheep from his flock may be missing.

At the time, police confirmed an investigation had been launched into the theft of a ‘number of sheep’.

However, in a statement to the Oxford Mail, Thames Valley Police have said the sheep weren’t actually stolen.

A spokesperson for the police force said: "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."

The news that the sheep haven’t been taken will help to cap off a good month for Clarkson, who won the gong for best reality docuseries at the National Television Awards earlier this month.

Clarkson’s Farm took the win against At Home With The Furys, Fletchers’ Family Farm, Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing and Stacey & Joe.

Clarkson said the sheep were worth around £250 each (Prime Video)

Clarkson was all smiles as he headed onto the stage to collect the award from the new hosts of his former show The Grand Tour – Francis Bourgeois, James Engelsman and Thomas Holland.

Collecting his award, he said: “Crikey. Some lovely programmes in that category.

“I’ve just discovered Paris Fury is from Doncaster like I am.

“I don’t want to drone on forever, on behalf of everyone who makes this amazing show, thank you.”

However, even after winning his award, it seems his sheep weren’t far from his mind, as he said backstage: "There's none on the farm, and there's no blood and guts there, so somebody stole them and they will have butchered them by now. They're sheep; they were going to be eaten anyway, let's be honest."

"Apart from anything else, they’re £205 each for a sheep, so that's £2,000 of sheep that were stolen."

LADbible has reached out to Jeremy Clarkson for comment.