In the morning, there was more than four miles of almost standstill traffic northbound at the Milton Interchange near Didcot.

A van had crashed into the back of an black MG family car and when police shut the outside lane, motorists were backed up all the way to East Ilsley.

National Highways’ spokesman said delays lasted more than 75 minutes for motorists stuck in the worst of it.

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The crash also caused huge traffic for drivers approaching the interchange from Milton, Didcot and Steventon.

In the early afternoon, drivers were left frustrated with delays of up to an hour southbound between the Peartree and Botley interchanges.

A lorry had shed its load which resulted in a “very large” amount of rocks and gravel to be covered across lane one, National Highways said.

The clean up was completed some two hours later.

The burglary occurred in Stonor, a Chilterns village in South Oxfordshire, between 8am and 7.30pm on Wednesday, May 13.

A home on the B480, the main road through the village, was raided by burglars after they entered at the rear of the property, searched the house and stole jewellery.

Police, file image (Image: file)

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Thames Valley Police investigating officer, Elena Ticanet based at Abingdon police station, said: “We would like to speak to anyone who has information, CCTV or door cam footage within the area at this time to please come forward.  

“If you have any information around this incident, please contact the Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 quoting the reference 43260237425 or online.  

“If you do not want to talk to the police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

Harriet Cowan from Derbyshire was a new addition to the cast in the latest season, which was released on Prime Video across May and June last year.

The 25-year-old temporarily stood in for long-time fan favourite Kaleb Cooper as he toured, helping Mr Clarkson at the farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire.

She left midway through the series once her help was no longer needed, but became popular with viewers despite her short time on screen.

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Speaking exclusively to the Express, she explained: “Being part of farming, you are constantly relying on the weather all the time.

“This time last year, it was just too hot, there was a drought, and the grass just turned brown and died. Every year, you’re constantly wondering what’s going to happen.

“Last year, as Jeremy said, the farm really struggled because the grass that we would have grown and made would have fed the cattle all winter, but because there wasn’t enough rain, we obviously ran out.”

She went on to say that hay had to be bought in hay bales, and because businesses rose the prices up as knew farmers needed them, they put the price up.

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“So bales that were probably going for around £40 were now costing nearly £90, and when you think of that on a large scale, that’s insane.”

Ms Cowan also said that the ongoing conflict in Iran has had a significant knock‑on effect on farming, with the cost of diesel – including red diesel used in tractors – climbing steeply.

She believes many members of the public are unaware of the link, assuming everything looks normal from their windows, when in reality the situation is proving damaging for agriculture.

According to Ms Cowan, soaring fuel prices mean farmers are increasingly unable to afford to drill fields, sow crops and produce food as usual, a situation she finds extraordinary in 2026.

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She described it as a very difficult period for those working in farming and expressed hope that the war can be brought to an end soon so conditions can stabilise, saying the current pressures are unsustainable.

It is not yet known if Ms Cowan will return to Clarkson’s Farm, but she addressed the topic on BBC Breakfast News last year.

“We’ve always left it very open,” she said.

“I’m here if he needs me, but no plans at the minute. If he needs me, I’m here.”

Clarkson’s Farm will return to screens in June on Prime Video with series five, which wrapped filming in September 2025.