No-one should be prosecuted over a high-speed crash that nearly killed a presenter on BBC television's 'Top Gear' programme despite failings in safety management, according to a report.

Health and safety inspectors said the crash involving Richard Hammond was caused by a "catastrophic failure" of the front offside wheel of the rocket-powered dragster he was driving at 288 miles (463km) per hour.

But they said safety features on the Vampire car, plus the fact that it remained intact after flipping over several times at an airfield near York, northern England, "almost certainly" saved the presenter's life.