Motoring broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson beached a top-notch motor on the beach - and the Exmouth Journal was there to see him come unstuck.

The incident happened around sunset when a production crew from BBC TV's Top Gear descended on Budleigh Salterton to record footage of Jeremy in the Bentley GT coupe.

The show frontman was in the £100,000-plus car filming a slot for a forthcoming series when it got stuck in the shingle.

Reporter Karl Grafton and photographer Simon Horne went along after the paper noticed Top Gear had asked the council for permission to film on the beach.

And as the embarrassing tale unfolded, Karl described in print how the car - capable of more than 180 mph, was going nowhere fast on Budleigh beach, and that Clarkson left before it was rescued as he had other filming to complete.

Jeremy sat in the car for a piece to camera and all seemed well. But when they tried to drive the car off the beach it had sunk in to the shingle and was stuck.

The production crew had to dig around the wheels to release them like a car stuck in desert sand.

Top Gear editor Andy Wilman said Budleigh had been chosen for the shoot because of its special qualities.

He told the paper: "First of all we loved the sound of the name and its Englishness. Bentley is a very English car and we felt it would be the ideal location to film this slot. Bentley's are about cruising and good weather and beautiful scenery. And Budleigh Salterton has all of that."

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