Was Jeremy Clarkson right to call the M25 protesters smelly? Readers have their say

Insulate Britain has targeted the M25 five times in eight days, blocking slip roads by gluing themselves to the carriageway and pouring paint on to the roads as part of their campaign to improve home insulation.

Former Top Gear presenter Mr Clarkson, who runs Diddly Squat Farm in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, said the climate change protesters were “smelly” “beardy people in Crocs”.

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He wrote in his Sunday Times column: “For the past week a handful of beardy people in Crocs, socks and high-visibility jackets have been trying to make people insulate their lofts by sitting in the middle of the M25.”

Some Oxford Mail readers agreed with him while others were not so supportive.

LUIS SHEPPARD: “He’s not wrong!”

WI)LL BAYLISS: “It’s true, so many people these days get offended by the truth.”

OXFORD MAIL READER: “Crocs? Aren’t they made out of plastic? Not very environmentally friendly are they.”

JANE SMITH: “Apart from the pejorative language, I broadly agree with Mr Clarkson.”

JOHN BROWN: “Correct though.”

SARAH WILLIAMS: “Gotta agree.”

LEE STEPHENS: “They should go and protest in Russia or China, our country produces nothing compared to them big polluting countries!! Bet they wouldn’t be there for long.”

CHRIS HEAL: “The great unwashed love nothing more than to inflict misery on others.”

IAN MERRETT: “He’s not wrong.”

JOHN BROWN: “This week the M25, next week the £20 reduction in their benefit.”

DEAN GILES: “Not harsh enough.”

WAYNE BENTLEY: “Harsh but extremely fair.”

ANDY MILLIGAN: “He speaks the truth.”

DEREK WRIGHT: “Absolute tree hugging no hopers who need to get a job and stop trying to change this by disrupting others and being a complete annoyance.”

VICTORIA RUSKIN-CLEMENTS: “Derek Wright they probably have a job that keeps your job running.”

ADAM SMITH: “May as well change the name of the Oxford Mail to Clarkson news.”

MERVYN SMITH: “He must have had a good day to be so polite.”

SIMON HAND: “With the crocs he’s taking it too far!”

LEE MORRIS: “Top man.”

JOHN BROWN: “True.”

NIKI GILES: “Love him.”

SALLY WORTH: “He’s not wrong.”

KELLIE MORGAN: “Haha the truth!”

KERRY LOUISE: “Harsh but fair.”

DION BETTS: Well he’s not wrong? If protesters actually used their own brain and did some research in to the matter they would realise that cars actually contribute not even a fraction of 1% towards global warming.

“I guess a better argument would be improving the air quality around London?”

STEVE HILL: “Fair comment, I would say. I have no time at all for these people, and support for their cause is evaporating by the minute because of their childish and illegal antics.”

KARL LUCAS: “The voice of reason.”

DAVE TWEDDLE: “So true, fair play Clarkson.”

ANTHONY BAIN: “I think he was holding back!”

CLAIRE FIRTH: “Clarkson for Prime Minister.”

DAVID BUCK: “Is that really “blasting”? Or is it simply a middle-aged white man with an opinion most people disagree with? Perhaps we’re giving far to much airtime to men like him (and that Piers Morgan), who let’s face it are exactly the same type as those who plan and profit from what’s being protested?”

GILES STEVENS: “David Buck well done for getting someone’s race into your point of view when the initial story has absolutely nothing to do with race.”

DAVID BUCK: “Giles, well done for completely subverting the point whilst passively trying to attack me!”

PAUL MELLORS: “David Buck I think you will find more people agree with him than disagree.”

STEVE HILL: “OK, nearly all comments here support Clarkson and not the illegal M25 mobsters. I suggest everyone who finds these antics puerile and objectionable commits to this: ‘Every time a climate activist breaks the law, I will chuck some plastic in the landfill bin instead of the recycling bin.’”