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by Adrian Hearn / PA

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has topped 250mph in a Bugatti Veyron less than a year after the 288mph jet-powered horror smash which left him in hospital for over a month.  

Hammond, 37, drove the 253mph supercar in a race with a Typhoon fighter jet as part of a stunt for the hit BBC series.

The Beeb said it had followed "stringent" safety procedures for the race, which was filmed last week at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

Last September, Hammond was driving a jet-powered car at speeds approaching 300mph on an airfield near York when he crashed.

A tyre blow-out sent the vehicle spinning off the runway and left the presenter upside down and dug into a grass verge.

He was airlifted to hospital where he was treated for swelling to the brain and bruising but eventually made a complete recovery. A film of the accident was later broadcast on Top Gear, where fans of the show welcomed him back a hero.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) later found there had been "failings in BBC management systems" before the accident. But it concluded no-one should be prosecuted.

As a result, the pint-sized presenter was catapulted into stardom and was recently named TV presenter of the year in the annual GQ awards.

The latest stunt was described as "awesome" by one eyewitness who said the Bugatti drove for one mile each way down the airfield runway.

Meanwhile the Typhoon jet flew one mile over the runway.

A BBC spokesman said it was part of filming for a new series that starts in October.

The Bugatti Veyron is fastest production car ever built.

Powered by an 8-litre W16 engine, the Veyron boasts 1,001bhp and 922lb/ft of pulling power.

This accelerates the hypercar from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 253mph.

In the last series, co-presenter James May – nicknamed Captain Slow – hit 253mph in the £830,000 motor on Volkswagen’s private test track.

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