By HARRIET KEAN FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

Published: 23:43 BST, 24 May 2025 | Updated: 23:44 BST, 24 May 2025

Heaven forbid that Jeremy Clarkson ever be accused of acting irresponsibly…

Yet a drinking game taking place in the Cotswolds pub the king of the reckless Top Gear stunts now owns was investigated by police after a rather po-faced complaint was made that it encouraged ‘irresponsible’ alcohol consumption.

The complainant was apparently unimpressed by the shenanigans at The Farmer’s Dog involving a ‘beer puppeteer’ contraption, right, imported from Germany.

This bizarre game involves strapping on a shoulder harness rigged with levers and pulleys which the player must use to guide a swinging pint of beer into their mouth.

Using your hands is verboten, and to add a competitive element, two drinkers race each other to finish the pint without spilling it.

A video posted on the pub’s Instagram page on May 3, and so far viewed 18,800 times, shows Clarkson watching a member of staff grapple with the contraption in the pub’s garden.

It is captioned: ‘Come without a reservation for the British farmed food, for the view, for the beer, the games, the garden and the fun.’

A drinking game taking place in the Cotswolds pub Jeremy Clarkson now owns was investigated by police after a rather po-faced complaint was made that it encouraged ¿irresponsible¿ alcohol consumption

A drinking game taking place in the Cotswolds pub Jeremy Clarkson now owns was investigated by police after a rather po-faced complaint was made that it encouraged ‘irresponsible’ alcohol consumption

A video posted on the pub¿s Instagram page on May 3, and so far viewed 18,800 times, shows Clarkson (pictured) watching a member of staff grapple with the contraption in the pub¿s garden

A video posted on the pub’s Instagram page on May 3, and so far viewed 18,800 times, shows Clarkson (pictured) watching a member of staff grapple with the contraption in the pub’s garden

The complainant was apparently unimpressed by the shenanigans at The Farmer¿s Dog (pictured). The bizarre game involves strapping on a shoulder harness rigged with levers and pulleys which the player must use to guide a swinging pint of beer into their mouth

The complainant was apparently unimpressed by the shenanigans at The Farmer’s Dog (pictured). The bizarre game involves strapping on a shoulder harness rigged with levers and pulleys which the player must use to guide a swinging pint of beer into their mouth

However, following the complaint, I’m told the police were forced to check whether the unconventional game meant the pub – as featured in the Amazon Prime Video show Clarkson’s Farm – was breaching licensing laws.

Yet the council appeared to appreciate the funny side. Andrea Thomas, licensing officer for West Oxfordshire District Council, said: ‘After reviewing the game with the police licensing officer, we do not deem it to be a breach of any granted licences, and no further action will be taken.

‘We do not deem it as irresponsible, rather part of promotion for the establishment which does not impact the licence.’

And Clarkson didn’t even need to pull any strings to get that result!

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TALK OF THE TOWN: Pull the other one! Police probe ‘beer puppet’ at Jeremy Clarkson’s pub 

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