BBC Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson: His Most Infamous Gaffes

Once again Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has put his massive foot in his even more massive gob.

In his latest in a long line of deliberately provocative outbursts, he used BBC's prime-time schedule-filler The One Show to air his views on the November 30 strikes and those public sector workers taking part.

"I'd have them all shot," he said, hilariously.

"I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families."

Wealthy Clarkson, whose publicly funded BBC salary is around £1million a year, may face legal action, after UNISON revealed they're talking to lawyers about what they can do.

He trades off of his persona as a self-appointed crusader against the perceived advance of over-zealous political correctness.

Here's a rundown of a few of Clarkson's most notorious moments, listed by offended groups.

Koreans

In 1998 at a car convention in Birmingham, Clarkson said that everyone working at Hyundai, a South Korean car company, had eaten a dog.

He added that one of Hyundai's designers had eaten a spaniel.

Germans

In a 2005 episode of Top Gear, Clarkson did a Nazi salute when talking about car make Mini, owned by German car manufacturers BMW.

The satellite navigation system would only go to Poland, he said, referring the the German invasion of Poland in 1939 that triggered World War Two.

Germany's government weren't laughing. They pointed out that in Germany he could have faced six months in jail for doing Hitler's Nazi salute, the sieg heil, on television.

Lorry drivers

"Change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder. That's a lot of effort in a day," said Clarkson on Top Gear, talking about the average lorry driver's daily routine.

The BBC received over 500 complaints, but defended Clarkson.

"This particular reference was used to comically exaggerate and make ridiculous an unfair urban myth about the world of lorry driving, and was not intended to cause offence," they said.

The Welsh

Clarkson has offended the Welsh several times in his career.

Recently he called for the Welsh language to be "abolished", describing it as an "appalling and moribund monkey language".

In 2002 he said that roads in Wales were good for speeding because "no-one wants to live there".

Gay Rights Campaigners

During a recording of Top Gear, in which Labour spin-doctor Alastair Campbell said Clarkson "wasn't very good on gay rights".

Clarkson's reply caused a stir.

"Oh yes I am. I demand the right not to be bummed," he replied.

Peter Tatchell, gay rights campaigner, said: "This isn't what we expect from a presenter on the BBC funded by the licence-payer."

Gordon Brown, the Scottish and the Blind

After referring to the then partially sighted Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown as a "one-eyed Scottish idiot", Clarkson endured the wrath of angry Scots and campaigners for blind people.

Clarkson apologised.

Somerset Tree Lovers

Churchill Parish Council were outraged when, for a television stunt, Clarkson crashed into a horse chestnut tree with a pick-up truck in Churchill, Somerset.

The BBC was forced to stump-up £250 for a replacement.

"I was amazed and annoyed at the cheek that they can turn up and damage the tree like that," said Pam Millward, deputy chairman of the council.

Mexicans

Together with his Top Gear tagalong partners, James May and Richard Hammond, the trio upset Mexico by describing its food as "refried sick" and its people as "lazy, feckless and flatulent".

Mexico's ambassador to Britain labelled the comments "outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable".