Mexico angered by Top Gear 'xenophobia'

The Mexican ambassador to Britain has complained to the BBC over "offensive, xenophobic and humiliating" comments on the motoring programme Top Gear.

Eduardo Medina-Mora wrote to the BBC after the show's presenters Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May compared the characteristics of a Mexican sports car to those of the country's citizens.

Hammond said of the Mastretta under review: "Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

They went on to describe Mexican food as "refried sick".

Jeremy Clarkson spoke of his confidence that the ambassador would not file any sort of complaint because, he said, he would be asleep.

But Mr Medina-Mora did complain, calling the comments "offensive". The BBC did not comment but said it would respond directly to the ambassador.