Jeremy Clarkson hints that the Top Gear team 'may be back elsewhere'

The suggestion tht the Top Gear stars may have a future outside of the BBC came in his first public appearance since his sacking. He told the crowd he could now "swear without being reprimanded".

Auctioning a Top Gear Kung Fu Stig T-shirt advertised as being 'signed by a former presenter', Clarkson said: "Now some of you know there used to be a programme called Top Gear. It was on the BBC.

"But we could be back somewhere else. Or maybe even not somewhere else, who knows?"

However, as he raised bids for the last Top Gear official T-shirt of the evening, he hinted, said the Telegraph, that he may have severed ties with the programme once and for all. "It may well be the last ever time I put my name on that merchandise".

Bids for a signed advance copy of Clarkson's latest book, What (More) Could Possibly Go Wrong? only got to around the £50 mark, and Clarkson joked: "That's how fast a man can devalue".

Clarkson placed a bid himself for deerstalking, donated by Lord and Lady Rotherwick, and told the audience: "I'm unemployed and I'm going to pay £250".

Clarkson was eventually outbid.The accompanied stalking outing on Cornbury Park Estatewent went for £350.

Hundreds of fans paid £15 tto watch Clarkson oversee the auction at Chipping Norton Town Hall.

Auctioning a bottle of 'finest House of Commons Champagne signed by our Patron, David Cameron', Clarkson joked: "It could be the last thing he ever does as Prime Minister, who knows?"

He added: "Or he could be the next Prime Minister."

Clarkson would not comment on why he pulled out of his planned appearance hosting the BBC satirical show Have I Got News For You.

The police are not pressing charges against him for an alleged assault on producer Oisin Tymon over a steak supper following a day's filming.