THE man who HIRED Jeremy Clarkson can today be revealed - a Worcestershire councillor and ex-Top Gear producer who says he doesn't regret making the motor-mouth presenter famous for one minute.

Your Worcester News can today reveal how Tory Ken Pollock, who sits on Worcestershire County Council, works in TV and joined the hit BBC1 show in 1987 before hunting down a brand new presenting team.

The politician, who is now 70, helped to hire and spent the next seven years working side-by-side with the controversial Clarkson before moving to Top Gear Motorsport, a spin-off show.

During an exclusive interview with your Worcester News Cllr Pollock, who co-produced Top Gear during the late 80s and early 90s alongside TV presenter Jon Bentley, of Gadget Show fame, said Clarkson had "never" lost his temper with him.

Cllr Pollock, who is still a freelance TV producer these days, has also hit at the BBC for suspending him in the first place, insisting he is not a "prima donna".

"What you see with Jeremy is what you get - he calls a spade a spade and is always honest," he said.

"He is very pleasant, very charming, very witty and great company and during all the time I worked with him, he never lost his temper."

Cllr Pollock also hit out at those who have savaged Clarkson in recent days, saying not only is the alleged assault still unfounded, but TV work is stressful.

"Making TV programmes is really tough, you have to worry about so many things, the weather, the light, the equipment, is there any background noise, there are so many things you have to get right," he said.

"When I worked with Jeremy it was a team effort and we always pulled in the right direction - the important point is, we call the presenters the 'talent', that's because they are talented people.

"That doesn't make him a prima donna, it makes him important and you need to make sure you organise yourself to help the very people who justify your existence."

He has criticised the BBC for taking the series off air, saying the ramifications are huge.

"If a complaint is made you may need to investigate it but you don't need to stop the show - Top Gear is watched by 340 million people," he said.

"Nothing has been proved here, we don't know what happened.

"There are so many people involved in each programme, why should taxpayers' money, our money be wasted on compensation?

"Once it's cancelled, everyone will have missed out and it appears the guy involved in this fracas didn't even make the complaint.

"Think of the cost, the disruption. I never, ever saw Jeremy lose his temper and I push people very hard."

The brash presenter, 54, has been suspended after allegedly getting into an expletive-filled food rant with current producer Oisin Tymon at a hotel they were staying at in Hawes, North Yorkshire after he couldn't order a steak.

Even Prime Minister David Cameron has got involved, calling him "a huge talent" and saying his children will be "heartbroken" if Top Gear stays off air.

Clarkson has expressed regret over the incident, which his co-presenter James May has labelled "a bit of a dust-up" and an online petition to reinstate him has topped 800,000 names since Tuesday.

Cllr Pollock, who lives in Martley near Worcester, said if Piers Morgan replaced him it would be "the ultimate insult" as they dislike each other so much.

Prior to joining Top Gear Cllr Pollock, who joined the BBC in 1977, worked on the old BBC programme Farming, which he renamed Countryfile.

He joined Top Gear Motorsport in 1994, which ran until 1998.