PA Media
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson said everyone at the farm is “devastated”
TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has announced that his farm has “gone down with TB”.
In a social media post on X the former Top Gear host said everyone at his Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, was “absolutely devastated”.
He later wrote that the infected cow was “pregnant with twins” at the site, which featured in Amazon Prime documentary series Clarkson’s Farm.
Cattle that fail a TB test, or animals that have inconclusive results for two consecutive tests, and are classed as “reactors”, must be isolated then sent to slaughter.
Bovine Tuberculosis (Bovine TB) can be infectious to all mammals, including humans.
It is mainly a respiratory disease, which can be transmitted through nose to nose contact and also through contact with saliva, urine, faeces and milk.
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Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire featured in the show Clarkson’s Farm
It is recognised as a problem that devastates farm businesses.
Badger culling has long been a part of the government response to the disease, despite criticism from wildlife and animal welfare campaigners.
The government last month said it would not be extending the badger cull and retained its commitment to end the practice before the next election.
Oxfordshire is an “edge area” for TB, meaning it is a buffer zone between high risk and low risk areas – so most herds are subject to six monthly TB tests by default.
There have been several cases in the area of Oxfordshire near to Diddly Squat Farm in recent weeks, according to ibTB, a mapping platform for the disease in England and Wales.