ENTERTAINMENT: Jeremy Clarkson accuses airport worker of barring him from flight

An airport worker barred Jeremy Clarkson from a UK-bound flight because of his appearance in a controversial Top Gear special, it has been reported.

The ex-Top Gear claimed Stuttgart Airport worker Manuel Pereira had said he was from Argentina as he stopped him boarding a flight in Germany on Monday.

Top Gear's Argentina special prompted protests over a car number plate that appeared to refer to the Falklands War.

Mr Pereira told The Sun he was "polite" during the alleged event.

According to the newspaper, Mr Clarkson had been waiting to return to the UK with fellow ex-Top Gear presenters James May and Richard Hammond when the alleged incident took place.

The presenter, whose new show The Grand Tour makes its debut this week on the Amazon Prime streaming service, claimed he and his team had been stopped at the departure gate before being told they had missed their flight.

Mr Clarkson, who writes a weekly column for The Sun, claimed Mr Pereira had claimed to be from Argentina and had used a profanity. He had then "marched off looking pleased with himself," the presenter continued.

He also claimed other airport workers suggested he and his co-presenters were "too drunk" to fly, when they had only had "one can of beer".

The Sun said Mr Pereira had denied he was from Argentina or that he had sworn at Mr Clarkson when the paper spoke to him on Tuesday.

"I would never say such a thing," he is quoted as saying in Wednesday's edition of the paper. "I wasn't rude. I was polite and professional."

Mr Clarkson accused Mr Pereira of being "a stupid, bitter and twisted little man" whose alleged plan to delay him eventually backfired.

According to the presenter, the flight he and his team ended up on arrived in London before the flight they had originally planned to take.

The BBC has approached Stuttgart Airport for a comment.