Jeremy Clarkson, 61, has become a farming staple since the premiere of Clarkson’s Farm last year. Jeremy and farmer Kaleb Cooper, 23, have come under fire from health and safety groups due to their latest promotional image for the upcoming series.
Jeremy and Kaleb have caused a stir after taking some controversial promotional pictures for the show.
In the promotional photo in question, Jeremy can be seen driving a tractor with his co-star Kaleb lying in the weight box at the front.
Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, told Farmers Weekly that Clarkson’s Farm could have encouraged more responsible use of farming equipment.
She stated: “This programme could be a great way to help improve this, so it is a pity that they chose to use this photo displaying such poor safety behaviour.
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“Agriculture continues to have the poorest safety record of any occupation in the UK and we are working hard to change that.”
Elizabeth Creed, farm safety consultant at the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, said it was “highly disappointing” the photo had featured in the promotion for the new series.
She said: “It is frustrating that the team at Clarkson’s Farm did not recognise that their platform has a huge potential for influencing and encouraging a positive safety culture in farming.
“We have suffered a number of fatal incidents this year.”
The former Top Gear star was planning to open a restaurant at his West Oxfordshire Farm, however plans were thrown out by the council last month.
Jeremy faced an angry backlash from local residents over his ambition to expand the farm with more than 50 objections registered with the council.
Jeremy proposed a 70 space car park and a 60 seat cafe for Diddly Squat farm.
The presenter turned up in person at a meeting of West Oxon District Council last month to make a personal plea to councillors to back his plans but this was not a success.
A total of 53 objections were received by the council, with another 12 letters of support.
Councillors at the West Oxon District Council meeting supported the planners recommendation to refuse permission on the grounds that the restaurant would be “out of keeping” with the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Jeremy’s representatives had already been forced to change transport plans for the scheme with a new one-way system and overflow car park to try and appease the mounting number of objectors.
He had also been served with a notice following complaints that the farm shop had breached original planning conditions by selling out-of-town souvenirs.
