Richard Hammond races a fighter jet

Richard Hammond has recorded his first high-speed car stunt since a life-threatening smash less than a year ago.

The Top Gear star drove a Bugatti Veyron - capable of speeds up to 250mph - in a race with a Typhoon fighter jet at an RAF base in Lincolnshire.

The BBC said it was confident "stringent" safety had been in place for the vehicle, which is known as the world's fastest production car.

Hammond drove the Bugatti a mile in each direction down the runway as the Typhoon flew overhead. An eyewitness described it as an "awesome sight".

In September 2006 Hammond brushed with death in a smash in a jet-powered car. He returned to the show in January and is now filming the new series, which is due to air in October.