Clarkson in foul tirade against BBC

Jeremy Clarkson has launched an expletive-laden broadside against BBC executives as a million-strong petition calling for his reinstatement on Top Gear was delivered by tank to the corporation’s headquarters.

The 54-year-old has been suspended since it emerged he was involved in what the BBC called ”a fracas” with one of the show’s producers.

He criticised BBC bosses and revealed he wanted to do “one last ever lap” of the Top Gear test track as he spoke on stage at a charity gala for young people at the Roundhouse in north London.

In video footage obtained by the Daily Mirror, Clarkson said: “I thought, ‘okay, I’ll go down to Surrey and I’ll do one last lap of that track before the f****** b******* sack me’....

I’ll be a bit tearful when I do it.

“To be in the audience of Top Gear there was an 18-year waiting list. You know the BBC has f***** themselves, and so who gives a f***?

“It was a great show and they f***** it up.”

The BBC was given a reminder of the strength of support behind the presenter when the petition was delivered to its headquarters.

Someone dressed as the motoring show’s enigmatic professional driver The Stig was onboard as the tank arrived outside New Broadcasting House near Oxford Street. The tank’s gun was pointed towards the media centre as one of the corporation’s employees received the petition organised by political blog Guido Fawkes.

A BBC spokesman said: “Following last week’s suspension of Jeremy Clarkson, Ken MacQuarrie is now considering the evidence and will report to the director-general on his findings next week... Once this has been considered, we will set out any further steps. The BBC will not be offering further commentary until then.”

Clarkson was suspended after allegedly punching producer Oisin Tymon during a rowover a hot meal at a hotel. The last episodes of the series have been postponed, causing the BBC to lose millions of viewers and receive thousands of complaints.