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TV motoring guru Jeremy Clarkson could well join the select band of public figures - including Margaret Thatcher - who have been denied an honorary degree because of protests by university staff.

Mr Clarkson had been nominated for the accolade at Oxford Brookes University in recognition of his "real passion" for high standards in engineering, according to vice-chancellor Graham Upton. But academics said his fondness for gas-guzzling cars made him unsuitable.

No doubt the idea of having letters after his name appeals to Mr Clarkson - particularly if those letters are GTI and his gown comes with a go-faster stripe.