The former Top Gear producer who was punched and verbally abused by Jeremy Clarkson is suing the presenter and the BBC for racial discrimination.

Irish man Oisin Tymon was attacked in a row over food at a hotel in March, which resulted in Mr Clarkson losing his job.

Mr Tymon drove himself to hospital after the incident, and told police at the time he did not want to press charges.

Mr Clarkson reported the March 4th incident to the BBC five days later, and was suspended by the broadcaster on March 10th.

It was subsequently announced that his contract would not be renewed.

Mr Tymon has attended a hearing at a London employment tribunal, along with lawyers for the BBC and Mr Clarkson.

It is understood the case relates to alleged "Irish insults".

The BBC says Mr Tymon suffered swelling and bleeding to his lip in the altercation

BBC director-general, Tony Hall, said Mr Clarkson had subjected an "innocent party [to] a physical altercation accompanied by sustained and prolonged verbal abuse of an extreme nature".

In May, Mr Clarkson admitted that his sacking was his "own silly fault".

He told Chris Evans' Radio 2 show he was "very sad" to have to leave the show after working for the BBC for 27 years.

"It was my own silly fault so I can hardly complain," he said.

"It was very much my baby, I absolutely adored it and I worked all the time on it, I worked all through the night on it".

The 55-year-old said he had been left with a "big hole" but "would never say anything bad about the BBC".