BBC court battle as The Stig plans to publish memoir

THE publisher embroiled in a legal battle with the BBC over a memoir by Top Gear’s The Stig attacked the corporation today for using licence fee cash on legal moves to block the book.

Book giant HarperCollins said it would “vigorously defend” its right to publish the book. It comes as the mysterious helmeted figure was apparently unmasked at the weekend.

The BBC has been trying to stop the publication of the book and claims that confidentiality agreements stop the driver from revealing his identity.

HarperCollins said in a statement yesterday: “We can confirm that the BBC is suing HarperCollins over the impending publication of the autobiography of the driver known as The Stig.

“We are disappointed that the BBC has chosen to spend licence fee-payers’ money to suppress this book and will vigorously defend the perfectly legitimate right of this individual to tell his story.”

Racing driver Ben Collins, who was a stunt double for James Bond, has been linked to the role of The Stig in financial documents. He is one of several drivers whose names have been put forward as being the white-clad figure who regularly takes to the track on the BBC2 show.

The case reached the High Court yesterday but is understood to have been adjourned “by consent” until next week.

No details of the application were given in court.

The current Stig is the second in the role. The first Stig, Perry McCarthy, was dropped in 2003 after his identity was uncovered.

Accounts for Collins Autosport Ltd from 2003 – the year the present Stig first got behind the wheel – describe it as “a cornerstone year”.