The apparent theft of sheep from Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm was in fact due to a miscount by farm staff, police have said.

Thames Valley Police first said it received reports on 2 September that the animals had been taken from the farm in Chadlington, Oxfordshire, within the last 10 days.

But in an update issued on Tuesday, police said the reported theft had in fact been the result of an accidental miscount by farm staff.

All sheep had since been accounted, the force said, adding that the investigation had now been closed.

Earlier this month, Clarkson appealed for those responsible for the alleged theft to "put them back".

He told The Sun that he believed the sheep were worth more than £2,000 at market, and added that he was worried some in other fields of his farm may have also been stolen.

Diddly Squat Farm has gained global attention as the focal point of the Amazon Prime Video series Clarkson's Farm.

The former Grand Tour host told the newspaper the alleged theft had been done at night or during a day when the farm was not being filmed for the show, when he said there was "a film crew here all the time" and "a drone in the air".

Asked whether he believed the show had made his farm a target, Clarkson said: "It's more likely to make you a target than less, but I still don't think they've been stolen because they're on Diddly Squat.

"How can you (stop it) if someone's determined to steal your livestock?

"This is 1,000 acres, it's a big farm. Anyone could be anywhere and you wouldn't know."