NORTH Yorkshire Police has asked the BBC for its report into the 'fracas' at a hotel which led to Jeremy Clarkson being axed by the broadcaster.

The BBC announced this afternoon that the Top Gear star's contract will not be renewed as a result of the incident at the Simonstone Hall Hotel in Hawes.

"North Yorkshire Police is liaising with the BBC regarding the alleged incident in North Yorkshire involving Jeremy Clarkson," said a North Yorkshire Police spokesman.

"We have asked the BBC for the report which details the findings of their internal investigation into the matter.

"The information will be assessed appropriately and action will be taken by North Yorkshire Police where necessary.

"It would not be appropriate for North Yorkshire Police to comment further at this time."

BBC director-general Tony Hall said the decision not to renew the presenter's contract had been taken with "great regret".

He said: "It is not a decision I have taken lightly."

Clarkson has been suspended from the hit motoring show since he was involved in what the BBC called a "fracas" with producer Oisin Tymon.

Mr Hall said he had met and spoken to both men and was publishing the findings of the BBC's internal investigation, though he added that he took "no pleasure" in doing so.

He said: "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."

The BBC investigation found that Mr Tymon was "subject to an unprovoked physical and verbal attack by Jeremy Clarkson".

It said the attack lasted around 30 seconds and only stopped when a witness intervened.

The report said "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."

Mr Hall said "no blame" was attached to Mr Tymon, who, he said, "behaved with huge integrity throughout".

He added that the BBC would look to "renew" the show for next year.

Clarkson and his co-hosts, James May and Richard Hammond, were scheduled to take part in four live Top Gear shows in Norway this week, but it was announced on Sunday that they had been postponed.

All three men's contracts run out at the end of this month but the futures of Hammond and May are still unclear.