Fencing boss speaks on theft of Kaleb Cooper kit

Kaleb Cooper has become a star on Amazon Prime show Clarkson's Farm

The owner of a fencing firm has described how thieves stole farm equipment belonging to Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper from a field.

A post knocker, owned by Mr Cooper, was stolen along with a tractor, which he does not own, from a field near Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, between 15:30 and 16:30 BST last Tuesday.

The hired items were being used by Aylesbury firm Home and Country Fencing, whose owner, who asked to be identified only as Lewis, said he believed the thieves had been keeping watch,

Mr Cooper declined to comment, but posted to Instagram, on which he has 2.9 million followers, writing: "Can we please make this as hot as possible! What is going on with England at the moment."

The hired tractor and post knocker were stolen while being used near Gerrards Cross by Home and Country Fencing

The equipment was being used in a field off Hawkswood Lane.

Lewis told the BBC: "They broke into the field and cut a chain off.

"They had probably been watching us as it was parked out of sight behind a barn.

"We had another post knocker stolen 11 months ago in Chalgrove as well."

A social media post from the company, shared by Mr Cooper, suggested a "burnt out" silver 4x4 vehicle found nearby was "possibly related".

The post knocker is a Protech P200S with the serial number 10698.

It belongs to Mr Cooper, who lives near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and has risen to fame in Jeremy Clarkson's farming show on Amazon Prime in recent years.

The green John Deere tractor 6630 had the number plate OU11 ARF.

Thames Valley Police said both were seen being driven past the BP filling station in Gerrards Cross, on the A40 Oxford Road, at 15:52 on the same day.

The force is appealing for anyone with further information to contact them.

NFU Mutual, the insurance arm of the National Farmers' Union, estimates that rural crime in the UK cost £44.1m last year – although that was down 16.5% on the previous year.