Concerns In Village After Visitors Flock To Jeremy Clarkson's Farm Shop

It seems Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm in Oxfordshire has become a bit of a tourist attraction

Two men visiting from Peterborough told the news outlet: "We saw it on TV obviously and love Jeremy Clarkson, so I thought we'd head over and have a look - took the dog with us."

However the stream of visitors to the area hasn't been welcomed by everyone.

Locals in the nearby village of Chadlington are divided, with some happy to see the increased footfall and others not so keen. Meanwhile, the parish council has expressed concerns.

Chadlington butcher Tom Dean told ITV: "A few people are welcoming to it, because it brings more new faces to the area and gets the Chadlington name out there.

"But there are also a few people that aren't as keen."

Clarkson has applied for permission to develop the site, which was met with some reluctance from Chadlington Parish Council.

In minutes from a meeting regarding the application last month, the parish council said: "The parish council remains concerned regarding the effect of the incremental development at this location, both upon the local community, its existing shops and an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

"The number of cars currently visiting this site is already substantial, often filling the existing available parking space and overflowing onto the Chipping Norton Road, which is hardly desirable in an AONB and creates a significant risk that accidents will occur."

Back in June, police were called out after huge queues formed near the farm.

At the time, furious local residents took to social media to complain about the traffic.

One resident wrote on a community Facebook page: "Avoid going anywhere near Diddly Squat Farm Shop, whole road is blocked again, but worse there are people stopping on the 60mph bend with nowhere to go."

Another commented: "I've just seen pictures that someone else has posted.

"Utterly ridiculous.

"Clarkson needs to do something and quickly. It's going to cause an accident! Queues all up Burford Road."

The queues became so extreme that Thames Valley Police were called, although they said no crime had been committed.