- Have you been affected by this? Email: robert.folker@mailonline.co.uk
Locals have been warned to stay away from Jeremy Clarkson‘s Cotswolds pub due to a large gathering of pony and trap riders in the area.
Police said it is aware of a gathering of horse-drawn carriages at The Farmer’s Dog with officers being called to the former Top Gear host’s pub in West Oxfordshire.
The pub in the Cotswold village of Burford was opened last August by the TV presenter who bought the site for a reported £1million.
A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: ‘We are aware of a large gathering of pony and traps at the Farmers Dog Pub in West Oxfordshire.
‘There is currently a police presence in the area. To ensure public safety and minimize disruption, we kindly ask people to avoid the area where possible. Thank you for your cooperation.’
After speaking with police in the area Oxfordshire County Councillor Liam Walker posted on Facebook saying that the gathering ‘was due to take place in Buckinghamshire but clearly the location was changed early this morning’.
‘It is not actually illegal to carry out this sort of activity so the legal powers available to the police are very limited,’ he said.
‘Police officers are still on the scene whilst the last 20 or so vehicles leave the pub car park. The pub is planning to reopen from 1pm.’
He added that a vehicle was seized by officers while ‘it is expected another such event is to be held tomorrow morning but that location is currently not known’.
Thames Valley Police had issued a Section 34 dispersal order after receiving intelligence an ‘unauthorised’ pony and trap event expected to take place this weekend in the neighbouring county Buckinghamshire.
The order is in effect in the Gerrards Cross and Chalfont St Peter area from 3am today until 3am on Monday.
The force posted on social media: ‘We have an extensive policing operation in place to implement preventative measures and ensure public safety. Our officers will take action where necessary if criminal offences are identified.’
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the Farmer’s Dog could be forced to close its car park that allows it to welcome hundreds of punters at a time because it’s next to a historic grave.
The car park is adjacent to a listed ancient monument, a 1,400-year-old burial mound containing the remains of an Anglo-Saxon warlord, and there are suggestions it could be damaged by the number of cars now arriving.
As soon as Clarkson acquired the pub lease he knew he needed to increase its parking capacity – because of what happened previously when he opened his hugely popular Diddly Squat Farm Shop near Chadlington, and it featured in the show.
Fans soon came in their hundreds causing traffic jams with punters parked for miles around on the grass verges of narrow single-tracks, blocking roads and causing fury among neighours.
The TV presenter – who recently had a heart operation due to stress – recently spoke of how desperate the pub trade was, listing a range of difficulties he has had since opening.
Clarkson wrote how his pub – run only on British produce – is a ‘total disaster’ behind the scenes as thefts, traffic chaos and toilet nightmares run rampant.
When the Farmer’s Dog first opened August many had travelled from far and wide to the picturesque spot for a chance of a pint, with the car park rammed within an hour of its opening.
The running of the pub is expected to feature in the fourth season of Clarkson’s Farm with it being heavily filmed during its renovation and opening.
