Kaleb Cooper has given an update on the 11 sheep stolen from Jeremy Clarkson's farm, revealing police are still checking CCTV in a bid to track down those responsible.
Speaking to the Mirror at the National Television Awards, the 28-year-old Clarkson's Farm star said: "We had 11 sheep stolen. It’s in the police’s hands now, so we’re just waiting to hear back from their investigation."
Dry weather hampers search
Cooper admitted it would be a tough task to recover the livestock. "Of course, it’s been so dry this year," he added. "So we can’t find tracks, you know? They’re checking all the cameras in the local area at the moment to see if they can track it back."
The Clarkson's Farm star said that while sheep theft was not something he heard about particularly often, its impact on farmers could be devastating. "I wouldn’t say it happens a lot. I think it happens, but you don’t hear of it very often. But it’s very serious," he continued.
Impact on farmers
Cooper hit out at those involved in the crime, saying they have "taken someone’s livelihood away". He said farmers rely on the money to keep their farms going and keep people in jobs. "So I think it’s very serious," he said. "We had 11. I’ve heard of some cases where it’s been about 50."
Cooper's words come after Jeremy Clarkson demanded the return of his animals. The former Top Gear star said last week that he knew the crime sounded like "I'm from 1856", but the officer he spoke to must have been a fan of his show as she immediately said: "Oh, not your Easycares."
Clarkson's reaction
Confirming it was indeed his beloved flock, the presenter raged, "It p***es me off, honestly". He revealed that the sheep were worth more than £2,000 at market and added that he was worried some of the sheep in other fields of his farm may also have been stolen.
He went on to explain the crime took place at a time the cameras weren't rolling for his hit Prime Video series. When asked whether he believed the show had made his farm a target, Clarkson told The Sun: "It’s more likely to make you a target than less, but I still don’t think they’ve been stolen because they’re on Diddly Squat."
Naked fan encounter
Away from the sheep theft, Cooper also revealed his strangest fan encounter since rising to fame on the show. He said he once received a rather unexpected thank you from a fan.
"Someone hugged me naked," he confessed. "They got naked, they hugged me and said, ‘Thank you for farming. Thank you for all you do for farming.’ And I said, ‘You don’t have to get naked to thank me!’ It was out in the Cotswolds. That’s the Cotswolds for you!"
