TV presenter and Chipping Norton resident Jeremy Clarkson has said he feared for his life when he tested out a driverless car.

He claimed the technology is ‘miles away’ from being safe.

He wrote in the Sunday Times Magazine: “I drove a car the other day which has a claim of autonomous capability and twice in the space of 50 miles on the M4 it made a mistake, a huge mistake, which could have resulted in death.

“We have to be very careful legally, so I’m not going to say which one.”

Audi will launch its own advanced autonomous cars in 2018 and Chancellor Philip Hammond said the Government will invest in plans. 

He said he aimed for 'fully driverless cars' to be on UK roads without a safety attendant on board by 2021. 

He said: "Some would say that's a bold move, but we have to embrace these technologies if we want the UK to lead the next industrial revolution."

Mr Hammond will test an autonomous car himself on a visit to the West Midlands today. 

One of the leading projects to develop driverless cars in the UK is being run by Oxbotica at the Culham Science Centre.