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Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond is in a 'critical but stable' condition after crashing at speeds close to 300mph.

The star was attempting to break the British land speed record for the new series of the show yesterday afternoon at Elvington airfield near York.

Hammond's jet-powered Vampire dragster overturned and hit the ground so hard it 'dug in' to the grass at the side of the runway.

Airfield safety officer Dave Ogden said: "On the previous run the car had just gone over 300mph but I am not sure if it had broken the record. They had just done one more run and were planning to finish when it veered off to the right.

"One of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us."

Initially unconscious, the 36-year-old was air-lifted to Leeds Royal Infirmary, where his wife Amanda is at his bedside.

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