Oh Beehave! Jeremy Clarkson goes to warfare with locals AGAIN

Jeremy Clarkson has gone to war with local ramblers at his Diddly Squat Farm – by placing beehives at the perimeter of his farmhouse next to a public footpath to keep out nosey fans.

The TV star, 64, has strategically erected 11 beehives behind a five-foot high hedge at the start of a lane that leads to his Cotswolds farm.

The one-mile-long lane is closed to all traffic, but walkers are allowed to use it, resulting in fans of the Amazon Prime reality series Clarkson’s Farm meandering along it in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his farmhouse, where he lives with his girlfriend Lisa.

Clarkson revealed in an interview earlier this year that there had been a number of incidents of people entering his property following the global success of the show which follows his countryside escapades.

But local ramblers have slammed the star for placing the beehives where he has with several complaining that they have been stung.

One resident who did not want to be named told MailOnline: ‘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.’

But Gerald Cooper, the no-nonsense, straight-talking star of Clarkson’s Farm, hit back at the ramblers – and told MailOnline 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 MailOnline 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.

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.’

One resident told MailOnline: ‘We like Clarkson but not his fans. He’s done a lot for this area, and we even get a chance to buy things in the farm shop at a discount.

‘But the tourists that now come here are a nuisance. Hopefully, the bees will keep them away and sting them if they try to get close to his property but I’m not sure if he’s put them in the right place.’

The roaring success of the show and Clarkson’s world-famous farm shop has created mayhem in the previously quiet country roads surrounding his farm.

Thousands of visitors flock to the area where the 1,000-acre property is located and to visit the Diddly Squat farm shop.

Surrounding roads are continually congested with traffic and scores of visitors queue for more than an hour to buy goods or eat in the farm shop café.

Filming for a fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm is currently underway.

Ahead of the release of the third series of Clarkson’s Farm, the former Top Gear presenter vented his frustrations at ‘invading’ fans.

Recalling 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 revealed how a group of children knocked on his front door and when he opened it, were told by their mothers to ‘walk in.’

He added: ‘You have to be nice to the children, obviously it’s not their fault. But I did take the mothers to one side and say: ”You can’t do that.”’

In another, Lisa emerged from the shower to find a couple having a look around their home.

Clarkson has taken a leaf out of his illustrious Cotswolds neighbour David Beckham’s book who used bees as a defence against snoopers peering into the £12million mansion her shares with wife, Victoria.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has 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?’