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Punched producer to sue Clarkson, BBC

London, England - A television producer who was punched by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, is sueing him and the BBC for racial discrimination, the broadcaster reported on Friday.

Clarkson and BBC representatives attended a hearing Friday at a London employment tribunal with Oisin Tymon which centres on alleged verbal abuse, it said.

Wheels24 reported earlier in 2015 that the row was over a missing meal and that Clarkson had called Tymon a "lazy, Irish" expletive.

BBC to respond

The BBC's press office said in a statement on Friday: "We will be responding to this claim but will not be commenting further at this time."

Clarkson was dropped from Top Gear, the high-profile BBC motoring show which has millions of fans worldwide, after hitting Tymon in March.

In July, it was announced that he plus co-stars James May and Richard Hammond, signed a deal with streaming service Amazon Prime to make a new series about cars.

Bleeping lip

Clarkson (55) had reported himself to BBC management after he admitted giving Tymon a bleeding lip for which the producer sought hospital treatment.

The presenter, known for his laddish banter and love of practical jokes, had repeatedly landed in hot water with the BBC before.

In 2014, the team fled Argentina after residents hurled stones at a Porsche driven by Clarkson whose licence plates appeared to refer to the Falklands War.

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