The end of Top Gear? Jeremy Clarkson's contract won't be renewed, BBC confirms

An investigation into the "fracas" that led to the Top Gear presenter's suspension found that he had subjected producer Oisin Tymon to a "unprovoked physical and verbal attack" which left him with a bleeding lip and with the belief he had lost his job.

BBC director general Tony Hall made the announcement on the BBC's website, saying: "It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract.

"It is not a decision I have taken lightly. I have done so only after a very careful consideration of the facts and after personally meeting both Jeremy and Oisin Tymon.

"I know how popular the programme is and I also know that this decision will divide opinion. The main facts are not disputed by those involved.

The BBC is a broad church. Our strength in many ways lies in that diversity. We need distinctive and different voices but they cannot come at any price. Common to all at the BBC have to be standards of decency and respect. I cannot condone what has happened on this occasion.

"A member of staff – who is a completely innocent party – took himself to Accident and Emergency after a physical altercation accompanied by sustained and prolonged verbal abuse of an extreme nature. For me a line has been crossed. There cannot be one rule for one and one rule for another dictated by either rank, or public relations and commercial considerations."

He added he had always been a fan of Jeremy Clarkson's work and paid tribute to the "enormous contribution" the Top Gear host had made to the BBC.

He concluded: "The BBC must now look to renew Top Gear for 2016. This will be a big challenge and there is no point in pretending otherwise."

Gutted at such a sad end to an era. We're all three of us idiots in our different ways but it's been an incredible ride together.

— Richard Hammond (@RichardHammond) March 25, 2015

Reporters outside my house: if you're going to hang around on small streets with your car engines idling all day, don't buy a bloody diesel.

— James May (@MrJamesMay) March 25, 2015

The report into the incident between Mr Clarkson and Mr Tymon concluded: "The verbal abuse was directed at Oisin Tymon on more than one occasion – both during the attack and subsequently inside the hotel – and contained the strongest expletives and threats to sack him. 

"The abuse was at such volume as to be heard in the dining room, and the shouting was audible in a hotel bedroom; 

"derogatory and abusive language, relating to Oisin Tymon and other members of the Top Gear team, continued to be used by Jeremy Clarkson inside the hotel, in the presence of others, for a sustained period of time; 

"it is clear that Oisin Tymon was shocked and distressed by the incident, and believed that he had lost his job."

The report says that Mr Clarkson over "made a number of attempts to apologise to Oisin Tymon by way of text, email and in person; and it is the case that Jeremy Clarkson reported the incident to BBC management."

Jeremy Clarkson and James May both changed their Twitter profiles to say they were "former TV presenters" following the announcement, however Richard Hammond's remained unchanged.