TOUR DE FARCE!

Village rumpus as Jezza and chums leave them stranded

TV bosses have been forced to apologise after they shut off an entire village for two days for filming without warning residents.

Amazon Prime’s Grand Tour descended on Farnley Tyas in West Yorkshire for the secret shoot.

They closed off roads so presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May could race around in a souped-up Toyota Hilux for the next series of their hit show.

But angry residents claimed the unannounced closures on Wednesday caused chaos and forced them to drive a 10-mile detour just to get from one side of the village to the other.

Charles Rapley, 73, who rents a stable near the village, said: “It’s total chaos and mismanagement.

“This has caused considerable disruption to people moving about from one side to the other.

“I understand the council did inform Pictures: SWNS ® the local school, but it’s the production company that should have put up notices or let everyone know.”

Grand Tour bosses admitted that they did not tip off residents in advance about their plans because of fears that excited fans would flock into the village and disrupt filming.

But a shocked spokesman for the show said: “With respect, I would hardly say we caused chaos.

“We didn’t broadcast that we were filming in the area because it can be counterproductive, in safety terms, if some of our more eager, younger fans turn up.

“We are, though, very sorry if any local resident was delayed.”

Fans were able to catch a glimpse of May, Hammond and self-confessed “proud Yorkshireman” Clarkson – who grew up in Doncaster – when they filmed sequences for the new series on nearby Crosland Moor airfield on Thursday.