Villagers 'thrilled' at prospect of Jeremy Clarkson being new landlord of their pub near Chipping Norton

Rumours abound in Bourton-in-the-Water that the Top Gear star is planning a purchase of the pub which is a stone’s throw from his own brewery.

Council insiders have reportedly said the 63-year-old is interested in buying the Grade II listed Coach & Horses Inn.

Locals said he would be welcome to move into the pub which is near the brewery where Clarkson’s Hawkstone Lager is produced. It uses barley grown on the presenter's Diddly Squat farm near Chippy.

Tom Carty, 37, manager of the Willow Pub in Bourton-on-the-Water said: "It will be good for the village. He's a very high profile character. In this area we are always looking for more reasons for tourists to come and if this brings more tourists in this direction that is a good thing.

"From my point of view its more positive than negative. There have been rumours for months about that site being purchased by Jeremy Clarkson. I don't know what's happened but it looks like he's back on the hunt for it.

"The pub would suit him really well; it's opposite his brewery so why wouldn't you want a site like that?"

The pub sits on a main road and used to be an Indian Restaurant, which was popular with locals.

Slav Wiswieski, 41, who lives in Bourton-on-the-Water said it used to be the best Indian restaurant in the village before it shut last year.

"It used to be open until late and they used to do a British Sunday carvery even though it was Indian," he said. "I knew the people who ran it, they were very friendly and polite. There would always be something extra if you ordered anything. Great customer service and the food would be absolutely delicious there as well."

He said he hopes Jeremy Clarkson buys the pub and added: "I reckon Jeremy Clarkson buying the pub would bring much more to the village because of the name, obviously.

"He already has this teepee close by and that is absolutely brilliant as well - and when it’s nice weather people sit outside with live music and food trucks. He's running a good business and there's massive opportunity there."

However, some residents have expressed concern at the number of tourists the new pub attract and whether there would be enough room for them to park.

"I suppose the only concern you would think is obviously the car aspect - he would just have to do it right," said Rachel Heath, 52, director of Cotswold China and Cookware, from Chipping Norton.

"I suppose he's got car parking across the road at the brewery so if the small carpark filled he could re-route people over the road - it's not that far away.

"I think it's great and I think it will be good for the area and great for his brewery but it is only a small carpark at that pub and I think he personally would attract a lot of people.”