Jeremy Clarkson: Family claim they witnessed presenter threaten to have producer fired during expletive laden rant

Jeremy Clarkson reportedly threatened to have a colleague fired, a family who say they witnessed the controversial fracas in Yorkshire claimed today.

The Ward family from Leeds were excited to be staying at the same hotel as the Top Gear presenters and staff but told Sky News they were shocked when they witnessed the internationally recognisable figure launched into an expletive-ridden tirade.

“He said he hadn't done his job properly, it was ridiculous that there was nothing to eat, obviously there was lots of expletives in between all this, and that he would be losing his job, he would see to it that he would lose his job,” Sue Ward, 54, told a Sky News reporter.

Mrs Ward, a medical practitioner, added she felt even if the producer was “really inept” he should have been “told properly, in a proper manner”.

The family’s claims appear to directly contradict reports last night that Mr Clarkson, who heads up the motoring show with Richard Hammond and James May, felt there was “no bad blood” between the presenter and producer.

Details also emerged that it was Mr Clarkson who first reported the incident to the director of television, Danny Cohen.

It would appear that the presenter was aware some Top Gear staff were upset by the “fracas” and had elected to present his version of events to BBC bosses before details were leaked to the press.

Mr Clarkson has been suspended, with the next three episodes in the £50m brand shelved, but is reportedly “intensely relaxed” about the inquiry into events.

Early last night it Mr Clarkson changed his Twitter bio to “I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear”.