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Falklands still whingeing about Clarkson

LONDON, England -  Earlier in October 2014 Wheels24 reported that Top Gear left an Argentinian province after being denied permission to film because one of its cars had a licence plate alluding to the Falklands War, a conflict between Britain and Argentina.

On Tuesday (Oct 21) Argentina's ambassador to Britain got around to demanding an apology from the BBC.

The programme's crew had to leave Argentina hastily after violent protests for driving a Porsche with a licence plate H982 FKL - interpreted by some as a reference to the 1982 Falklands War. Argentina, which lost the war, still claims the island group and calls it Las Malvinas.

'OFFENSIVE REMARKS'

The BBC insists the license plate was a coincidence and host Jeremy Clarkson has accused Argentine officials of whipping up anger for "political capital."

The Argentine embassy in London said Tuesday (Oct 21) that Ambassador Alicia Castro had complained to the BBC about Clarkson's "provocative behavior and offensive remarks toward the government and the Argentine people" and called for an apology.

The BBC said it would follow its usual complaint procedures.

HOTEL PROTEST

The crew was in Argentina to film using three cars; a Porsche, a Lotus and a Mustang. A group of former Argentine combatants in the war held a protest in front of the hotel where Clarkson and the BBC crew were staying. British newspaper The Telegraph said the BBC denied the plate was intentionally chosen.

BBC executive producer Andy Wilman was quoted as saying: "Top Gear production bought three cars for a forthcoming programme; to suggest that this car was either chosen for its number plate or that an alternative number plate was substituted for the original is completely untrue."

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