Jeremy Clarkson has responded to the shocking footage showing a police car hitting a baby cow on the loose in Surrey. A deeply upsetting video, which has been making rounds online, captures the incident where a Surrey police officer hits a stray cow twice with their patrol car.
The calf, named Beau Leaucy, just 10-months-old, roamed free in Staines upon Thames, Sussex, when it was struck not once but twice by the police vehicle, catapulting the animal across a residential street and then pinning it underneath the cruiser.
Clarkson, known for his hit Prime Video show ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ which premiered its third season in May, took to X/Twitter condemning the officer’s actions.
Pledging his voting intentions, Clarkson said: “I will vote for any party which stops the police from running over cows,” in light of the impending general election.
In a comeback to a Twitter user who nudged him to discuss this matter with PM Rishi Sunak, whom they labelled Clarkson’s “mate” Clarkson clarified his stance. “Never met him but if I do, I’ll be sure to bring it up,” he assured, refuting his association with Sunak and expressing his willingness to raise the issue should the opportunity arise.
Members of the public have vocally criticised the police officers “sickening” deed, describing the footage as “absolutely horrifying”.
This comes after Clarkson recently expressed his anguish over losing his piglets tragically.
“‘I thought it would be fun to have them, and then they just died in alarming numbers,” he remarked, noting he and his partner Lisa Hogan are now becoming “more used to” the harsher aspects of farm life.
“We’re a bit stronger at dealing with it now,” he claimed. “But it was a very heart-breaking time.”
Jeremy Clarkson is not alone in his condemnation of the Surrey calf incident; television presenter and naturalist Chris Packham has labelled the officer involved a “monster”.
The police have asserted that their actions towards the calf, which involved ramming it with a vehicle, were due to the animal posing a danger to the public. However, witnesses have challenged this claim, pointing out that while the calf was clearly frightened, it did not pose “harm to anyone”.
There’s been public outcry over the heavy-handed tactics, with many believing the situation should have been managed “a lot more humanely” than it was. The officer who was driving has been put on suspension while an investigation takes place.
After the incident, the cow was given back to its owner and treated by a vet. It has been reported, however, that the cow was notably not attended to medically at the scene.
