How Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear co-hosts responded to sacking

Top Gear hosts Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. Clarkson has been sacked by the BBC - will May and Hammond quit over the scandal?

Jeremy Clarkson's co-hosts have taken to Twitter to comment on the Top Gear star's sacking, calling it a "tragedy".

Clarkson faces arrest after the BBC sacked him for punching a Top Gear producer in the face with such force he had to go to A&E.

BBC Director General Lord Hall said Top Gear would continue without Clarkson.

He said: "It is with great regret that I have told Jeremy Clarkson today that the BBC will not be renewing his contract. It is not a decision I have taken lightly. For me a line has been crossed".

After the news, Clarkson changed his Twitter bio to read: "I used to be a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear.

His co-stars, James May and Richard Hammond, also addressed the news on Twitter.

May called the decision a "tragedy" and said he, Clarkson and Richard Hammond "come as a package", suggesting all three are now likely to leave the BBC.

He hinted that his future with Top Gear may be over after changing his Twitter biography to describe himself as a "former TV presenter".

Gutted at such a sad end to an era. We're all three of us idiots in our different ways but it's been an incredible ride together.

— Richard Hammond (@RichardHammond) March 25, 2015

The sacking is likely to spark a bidding war for Clarkson's services, with ITV, Sky and Netflix all said to be willing to pay Clarkson millions to present a motoring show for them.

- nzherald.co.nz