Jeremy Clarkson has issued a message to visitors of his farm and pub (Image: Getty)
Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out against customers stealing items from his farm shop and pub – only to flog them online for a tidy profit.
In a clip from his Amazon Prime show Clarkson’s Farm, the TV presenter exposed how his business is repeatedly being targeted by thieves, with everything from cooking oil to his Hawkstone pint glasses going missing.
Addressing the persistent problem at his The Farmer’s Dog pub, Clarkson said: “The pub has become a target for thieves, with around £200 worth of cooking oil stolen in a single night.
But that’s far from the strangest item to disappear. Light bulbs and urinal traps are stolen every day, forcing staff to screw them down to stop people taking them.
“Glasses are another frequent target, with an astonishing 400 stolen every week.”
Clarkson has spoken out against customers stealing items from his farm shop and pub (Image: Getty)
While some of the pilfered items hold little resale value, branded Hawkstone pint glasses appear to have become a highly coveted souvenir.
A swift search on eBay reveals several Clarkson’s Hawkstone pint glasses listed for between £10 and £15, with some attracting multiple watchers from prospective buyers eager to get their hands on one.
The official Hawkstone website sells the same branded pint glasses for £6, meaning certain individuals are stealing them before attempting to turn a profit by flogging them online for nearly double the retail price.
The revelations left numerous viewers shocked, with many taking to social media to condemn the behaviour and put forward suggestions on how the business could curb its losses.
One person said: “Add a deposit to the glasses, that’s what they do on the Christmas markets in Germany.
“You want a souvenir? Fine, you’ve paid for it. A deposit might not stop theft, but the cost will be reduced significantly.”
Another wrote: “The stealing is really sad. He is working his guts out.”
A third commented: “There are some people out there that would steal their grandmother’s false teeth even while she’s still eating. Unbelievable really.”
Someone else put forward a more straightforward solution, remarking: “He should serve in plain glasses, not Hawkstone ones, and that should cut down on theft.”
Others highlighted that the glasses are available to purchase legitimately for considerably less than many of the online listings, raising the question of why anyone would take the risk of stealing one in the first place.
Clarkson’s Cotswolds ventures have soared in popularity since the debut of Clarkson’s Farm, drawing thousands of visitors each week to both Diddly Squat Farm Shop and his pub, The Farmer’s Dog.