The BBC has suspended Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson "following a fracas" with a producer.

He was put on what was called his final warning last year following a racism row after claims that he used the n-word while reciting the nursery rhyme Eeny, Meeny, Miny Moe during filming of the BBC2 programme.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation.

"No one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time."

In recent years Mr Clarkson has been cleared of breaching the broadcasting code by watchdog Ofcom after comparing a Japanese car to people with growths on their faces.

He previously faced a storm of protest from mental health charities after he branded people who throw themselves under trains as "selfish" and was forced to apologise for telling BBC1's The One Show that striking workers should be shot.

Last year, the show was censored by Ofcom for breaching broadcasting rules after Clarkson used a "racial" term during the programme's Burma special, which had aired in March last year.

The year ended with the motoring show's crew forced to flee Argentina after trouble erupted when it emerged they were using a Porsche with the registration number H982 FKL, which some people suggested could refer to the Falklands conflict of 1982.

But each episode in the two-part Christmas special attracted more than seven million viewers last year, with a further three million for each episode on iPlayer.

This Sunday's episode was set to feature the trio - Clarkson with Richard Hammond and James May - getting to grips with classic cars such as a Fiat 124 Spider, an MGB GT and a Peugeot 304 Cabriolet.

They were set to take to the road and end up at a classic track day, while Gary Lineker was the "star in a reasonably priced car".

Top Gear's executive producer Andy Wilman described last year as "an annus horribilis" for the show after the claims of racism and the near-riot in Argentina.

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended after he allegedly punched a producer.

BBC News also reported that it "understood" the final three episodes of the series would not be broadcast in the wake of what the corporation has officially described as a "fracas" between the two.

This is despite an online petition calling for the 54-year-old's reinstatement soared past 130,000 signatures.

The presenter has been controversial in recent months - offending foreign diplomats, viewers, MPs and his own bosses at the BBC.

Mr Clarkson's first public response to his suspension was a tweet issuing a mock apology to Ed Miliband, whose wife Justine gave an interview to the BBC which was broadcast yesterday.

He said: "Sorry Ed. It seems I knocked your 'I'm a human' piece down the news agenda."

A BBC spokeswoman said: "Following a fracas with a BBC producer, Jeremy Clarkson has been suspended pending an investigation.

"No-one else has been suspended. Top Gear will not be broadcast this Sunday. The BBC will be making no further comment at this time."

Sunday's episode was set to feature Mr Clarkson with co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May getting to grips with classic cars such as a Fiat 124 Spider, an MGB GT and a Peugeot 304 cabriolet.

They were set to take to the road and end up at a classic track day, while Gary Lineker was due to be the "star in a reasonably priced car".

Mr Clarkson's initially failed to acknowledge news of his suspension, instead joking with Mr Hammond and Mr May on Twitter about what should be done with the now-empty slot on the BBC's schedule on Sunday.

No Top Gear this weekend, apparently. How about 633 Squadron instead? @JeremyClarkson @RichardHammond
— James May (@MrJamesMay) March 10, 2015

No, surely, Last of the Summer Wine; no one will notice the difference. Job done. @MrJamesMay @JeremyClarkson
— Richard Hammond (@RichardHammond) March 10, 2015

@MrJamesMay @RichardHammond I did some pretty good war documentaries. They could screen one of those.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) March 10, 2015

In recent years Mr Clarkson has been cleared of breaching the broadcasting code by watchdog Ofcom after comparing a Japanese car to people with growths on their faces, and he faced a storm of protest from mental health charities after branding people who throw themselves under trains as "selfish".

He was also forced to apologise for telling BBC1's The One Show that striking workers should be shot, but it is the claims of racism that have really damaged his standing with the corporation.

He's...something else

He thinks he's above the show and he certainly aint

I don't get why they've taken the damn show of the air, though. I don't watch it any more, but that's just a dumbass move <_<

To show they are serious

Yeah, way to show him. Losing millions of viewers. BBC shown them all <_<

realt wrote:

He thinks he's above the show and he certainly aint

He probably is, actually. If they sack him, the other two will likely walk, and I know one of the main producers is meant to be friends with him, so he'll probably go too. I don't think the show will be anywhere near as popular without the three of them.

I think the show can survive without him

lol It really wouldn't.

Jeremy Clarkson has hinted that the time may have come for him to leave Top Gear, likening himself to a dinosaur that nature had made a mistake in inventing.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper, he says that the day must come when you "wave goodbye to the big monsters".

He continues: "I don't intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I'm sure you're as fed up with the story as I am."

Clarkson goes on to apparently make light of the BBC suspending him "following a fracas", saying that one news report had been "wildly inaccurate" in saying that he had been seen using a bus.

"I can assure you that things are bad. But they are not that bloody bad," he writes.

Clarkson's column expands on the comparisons with the animal kingdom saying that big imposing creatures on the brink of extinction, like the polar bears or tigers, had no place in a world which has moved on.

He adds: "We lose one animal and we get another. The world turns."

The presenter also thanks his fans, saying that one of the things that has cheered him up is the how many people have expressed their support.

More than 870,000 people have signed a petition demanding he keep his job after he was suspended following the fracas with producer Oisin Tymon, which was sparked when Clarkson was told he could not have a £21.95 hot steak.

It could be weeks until Clarkson's fate is decided and it is understood not all the potential witnesses to the row have yet been contacted ahead of the hearing.

He is scheduled to appear alongside co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond at four live shows in Norway on March 27 and 28 and a decision on whether to go ahead is expected early next week.

All three men's contracts expire three days after the Norway gigs, which could render any disciplinary hearings redundant.

The last three episodes of the series have currently been put on hold.

The corporation has apologised to viewers who complained about the postponed episodes.

In a statement it said: "We do hope you'll understand that we value this reaction, but the investigation is still under way. Until more is known, we're therefore unable to say anything further in response and will not yet be making further statements about the issue.

"We realise you'll be disappointed that we can't respond to you in any more detail but thank you for contacting us."

Clarkson started the process when he told his bosses at the BBC about the row.

The BBC disciplinary panel will be led by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland, who carried out the investigation into Newsnight's false expose of Lord McAlpine.

A lawyer for Mr Tymon said his client "intends to await the outcome of the BBC investigation and will make no comment until that investigation is complete".

A family who witnessed the row said Clarkson was staying at the Simonstone Hall Hotel near Hawes in North Yorkshire and went into the bar at around 9.30pm after a day of filming last Wednesday.

Bob Ward, 60, from Leeds, told Sky News the star refused to have a selfie taken with him, saying: "No, not with the day I have had."

His wife Sue claimed Clarkson then said it was "ridiculous there was nothing to eat" and she said he thought his colleague had not done his job properly. "Obviously there were lots of expletives in between all this," she added.

She said Clarkson told his colleague "he would see to it that he would be losing his job".

Clarkson himself has joked about his position, telling reporters he was "just off to the job centre" and later changing his Twitter profile to read: "I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show Top Gear."

The BBC owns the rights to the Top Gear brand, which is valued at £50m, and includes the show, DVD rights and live shows, raising the prospect of Top Gear continuing on the BBC while Clarkson takes a similar show to one of its rivals.

I hope he gets sacked, he's a racist piece of shit

ITV says hello.