Jeremy Clarkson's punch victim to sue him and the BBC for racial discrimination'

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Jeremy Clarkson, 55, punched producer Oisin Tymon at Yorkshire hotel
He split Irishman's lip with a punch, causing blood to run down his face
He then allegedly verbally abused Mr Tymon, calling him a 'lazy Irish ****'
Today, victim 'attended an employment tribunal with Clarkson and BBC'
He is suing ex-Top Gear host and corporation for racial discrimination

Published: 07:13 EST, 13 November 2015 | Updated: 09:14 EST, 13 November 2015

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The producer who was punched by Jeremy Clarkson at a North Yorkshire hotel in March is suing both the former Top Gear presenter and the BBC for racial discrimination, it is reported.

Oisin Tymon, who was left with a swollen and bleeding lip, attended an employment tribunal in London this morning alongside Clarkson, 55, and the corporation, according to court papers.

He was present for a closed-door hearing about 'verbal abuse' relating to the altercation, which occurred when Clarkson was offered a plate of cold cuts instead of steak and chips after filming.

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Legal action: Oisin Tymon (right) - who was punched by ex-Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson (left) at a Yorkshire hotel in March - is understood to be suing him and the BBC for racial discrimination, it is reported

Colleagues: Mr Tymon (left) attended a closed-door hearing about 'verbal abuse' relating to the altercation, which occurred when Clarkson (right) was offered a plate of cold cuts instead of steak and chips after filming

During the attack, Clarkson allegedly called Mr Tymon a 'lazy Irish ****'. He then split the Irishman's lip with a punch, leaving him with blood running down his face, according to the Daily Mirror.

Lawyers Slater & Gordon confirmed to the BBC that the producer has been engaged with them.

However, they declined to comment further on the case.

In a statement about the case at the Central London Employment Tribunal, the BBC told MailOnline: 'We will be responding to this claim but will not be commenting further at this time.'

Following the 'fracas' on March 10, the BBC launched an internal investigation into the incident.

It subsequently found that Mr Tymon was subjected to an 'unprovoked physical and verbal attack' by Clarkson, who signed up to launch a rival programme to Top Gear on Amazon earlier this year.

It said the presenter had spent 20 minutes verbally abusing Mr Tymon at Simonstone Hall Hotel in Hawes after he was told that there was no hot food available following a long day of shooting.

Hosts: Clarkson and his former Top Gear co-presenters Richard Hammond (left) and James May (right)

He then carried out the 30-second physical assault, forcing a bystander to drag him away, said a report on the investigation, which was led by the director of BBC Scotland, Ken MacQuarrie.

The attack 'resulted in swelling and bleeding to [Mr Tymon's] lip', it said.

Mr Tymon needed A&E treatment after the incident, but did not press charges at the time.

Based on the investigation findings, the BBC refused to renew Clarkson's Top Gear contract.

After the incident hit the headlines in March, Mr Tymon was subjected to abuse on social media, with many Clarkson fans accusing him of getting the presenter sacked from the BBC's top show.

Some said he had a 'very punchable face' and should never work again. Others circulated Mr Tymon's email address, urging Top Gear fans to write to him and tell him what they think.

'Oisin Tymon is a producer – he failed to produce. Sack him,' said one viewer.

Sacked: During the attack in March, Clarkson allegedly called Mr Tymon a 'lazy Irish ****'. Above, he is pictured appearing on BBC Radio Two's Chris Evans show for the first time since he was sacked from Top Gear

Victim: He then split the Irishman's (above) lip with a punch, leaving him with blood running down his face

Another told him he had '****** it up for millions of people'.

The uproar led Clarkson himself to tell his followers to 'leave Ois alone'.

Mr Tymon is understood to have been off work on full pay since March, The Telegraph reports.

In July, Clarkson signed a lucrative contract with Amazon Prime for his new motoring show.

He will be joined on the programme by his Top Gear co-presenters, Richard Hammond and James May, as well as producer Andy Wilman. The show will air in 2016 and filming is currently underway.

Clarkson, known for his laddish banter, had repeatedly got into trouble with the BBC before.

Last year, he and his team were forced to flee Argentina after residents hurled stones at a Porsche that Clarkson was driving because his licence plates appeared to refer to the Falklands War.

The presenter also got in hot water with Ofcom the same year after he was found to have breached the regulator's rules by using a 'racial' term on a Top Gear Burma special.

Successful: Clarkson is pictured with Hammond and May on Top Gear, which has millions of fans worldwide

Clarkson had commented on footage of an Asian man walking over a makeshift bridge over the River Kwai that he had helped to construct: 'That is a proud moment - but there is a slope on it. '

Two viewers were concerned that the word 'slope' was an offensive racist term.

Following an investigation, an Ofcom spokesman said: the BBC 'breached broadcasting rules by including an offensive racial term in Top Gear, which was not justified by context'.

He added: 'Jeremy Clarkson used the word "slope" to refer both to an Asian man crossing a bridge, and the incline of the bridge.

'This was scripted in advance. The BBC failed to take the opportunity, either during filming or post-production, to check whether the word had the potential to offend viewers.'

A date for a further hearing on Mr Tymon's legal action is yet to be set.

MailOnline has contacted Clarkson's representatives for comment.

FRACAS: BOOZING, 40-MINUTE TIRADE AND A FAT LIP FOR THE PRODUCER

The unsavoury incident unfolded earlier this month when Jeremy Clarkson and his fellow Top Gear presenters Richard Hammond and James May belatedly arrived at a luxury hotel following a drinking session.

The presenters were scheduled to arrive at Simonstone Hall Hotel in the Yorkshire Dales at 8pm after travelling by helicopter following a day of filming at the programme’s studios in Dunsfold, Surrey.

But the trio ignored the pre-arranged plan and kept the helicopter waiting as they went to a local pub close to the studio for two hours.

Scene: The 'fracas' occurred at Simonstone Hall Hotel in the Yorkshire Dales (pictured) following filming

They eventually arrived at the four-star hotel, where more than ten rooms were booked at a cost of £5,760, after 10pm.

Most of the production team had already gone to bed but Oisin Tymon stayed up to greet the group.

Fury because the chef’s left

After being told the hotel’s dinner service had ended and that the chef had gone home, the presenters were offered a cheese or meat platter, soup or a bar snack.

An irate Clarkson, who was said to have been drinking rosé wine, became incensed at the offer and ranted that it was ‘ridiculous there was nothing to eat’.

Perched at the hotel’s bar, he shouted: ‘He’s f****** gone’ as people tried to calm him down.

His co-stars and other guests looked on in disbelief as he began to vent his anger at Mr Tymon, who he blamed for not organising a hot supper.

Clarkson (pictured) and his fellow Top Gear presenters Richard Hammond and James May arrived late to the hotel after a drinking session

The presenter used a multitude of expletives as he demanded a £21.95 8oz steak from the hotel’s menu.

He was eventually served a steak and peppercorn sandwich in a private room after the hotel’s general manager Robert Scott agreed to cook a late-night dinner for the trio of presenters.

Abuse ... and a vicious attack

A small group of the Top Gear crew moved to a patio area located at the rear of the hotel, used by smokers and guests enjoying the stunning scenery.

The enraged presenter continued his verbal tirade towards the producer, using the ‘strongest expletives’ as he threatened to sack him over the supposed mistake.

After allegedly calling the producer a ‘lazy Irish ****’, Clarkson launched an extraordinary attack on Mr Tymon. During the sustained outburst, he punched the producer, leaving him with a split lip and blood running down his face.

Despite being assaulted for 30 seconds Mr Tymon did not retaliate and the attack was only stopped when a witness intervened.

The outbursts continue

Clarkson returned to the hotel where he continued his loud and aggressive rant over a sustained period.

He continued to direct his derogatory insults at Mr Tymon, before aiming his vitriol at other members of the Top Gear crew who had joined the group.

His frequent outbursts – said to have lasted 40 minutes from start to finish - were so loud that guests in one of the hotel’s bedrooms and in an adjoining dining room could hear the stream of abuse.

The victim made a 70-minute journey to the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, where he received treatment for a swollen lip and dizziness.

Attempts to apologise

Clarkson made numerous attempts to apologise to Mr Tymon, who was convinced he had lost his job, both in person and by text message and email.

When the crew left the hotel three days later Clarkson told one member of staff: ‘It’s been really pleasant, apart from the obvious.’

Production coordinator Emma Lawrence wrote in the hotel’s guestbook that the team had had a ‘wonderful, friendly and extremely accommodating stay’.

Clarkson eventually referred himself to BBC management.