Jeremy Clarkson stopped from boarding flight 'in retribution for Falklands controversy'

Clarkson claims the check-in attendant said ‘I’m from Argentina so f*** you'

Mr Pereira, who in is 40s, told the paper he was Spanish, not Argentinian, and also denied swearing (Getty)

Jeremy Clarkson has claimed an "Argentinian" airport worker prohibited him and his Top Gear co-hosts from boarding a flight from Germany to the UK in order to seek revenge for the Argentinian numberplate row.

According to a report in The Sun, the controversial presenter, James May and Richard Hammond were allegedly barred from boarding a flight from Stuttgart to Heathrow after they finished filming their new show The Grand Tour.

Clarkson claimed check-in worker Manuel Pereira informed them they were too drunk to board the plane in order to prevent them from flying.

“I said to this little bald guy, ‘What’s the problem?’ He had a big smile on his face,” Clarkson told the paper.

“He said, ‘You’ve missed it.’ We said we had left the lounge when we were told, and he said, ‘I’m from Argentina so f*** you.’”

In October 2014, the cast and crew of Top Gear were forced to flee Argentina under police escort after locals pelted them with stones for driving through Argentina with the number plate H892 FKL, which some suggested was a reference to the Falklands War. At the time, Clarkson said it was the “most terrifying thing” he had ever been involved in.

The BBC insisted the H892 FKL number plate on the Porsche was just an “unfortunate coincidence”. Maria Cristina Barrionuevo, a federal judge in the city of Ushuaia, chose not to start an official investigation against Clarkson and the Top Gear team.

Mr Pereira, who in is 40s, told the paper he was Spanish rather than Argentinian and also denied swearing: "I would never say such a thing. I wasn’t rude. I was polite and professional".

A spokesperson for Stuttgart Airport said Clarkson missed several calls in the departure lounge while other passengers were boarding a plane.

A statement read: "The ground services for the mentioned flight were operated by our partner, S Stuttgart Ground Services.

"In this case, Mr Clarkson and his team missed several calls in the lounge while the other passengers have been already boarded," it continued. "Due to airline policy, after a certain time of absence the luggage will be removed from the aircraft and the missing passengers will be withdrawn from the passenger list. From this point there is no chance for boarding, even if the passengers show up."

"Nevertheless the personal behaviour of the staff member described in the article does not conform to our approach on customer service at Stuttgart Airport. S. Stuttgart Ground Services will investigate the event with its staff. We do already know that the employee mentioned is Spanish, not Argentinian."

In March 2015, Clarkson was dropped by the BBC after an “unprovoked physical and verbal attack” that left one of his colleagues bleeding and requiring hospital treatment.

A representative for Clarkson did not immediately respond to request for comment.