the bbc has hired bodyguards to protect its director general around the clock after he received a death threat for sacking jeremy clarkson the bill to licence fee payers for extra security is expected to run into thousands of pounds after a menacing email to tony hall, apparently from an obsessive top gear fan overseas but scotland yard insisted the threat was not considered grave enough to warrant diverting its own officers to guard lord hall scroll down for video  close protection: bbc director general tony hall, second right, gets out of a range rover outside his £15million home in oxfordshire  the bbc has hired bodyguards to protect its director general around the clock after he received a death threat for sacking jeremy clarkson  the email was sent on wednesday, hours after the bbc boss announced that clarkson’s seven figure contract would not be renewed after his attack on a top gear producer in response, the bbc hired security firm london protection services ltd to protect lord hall, 64, and his wife cynthia, 62, at a cost estimated at more than £1,000 a day guards in marked and unmarked vehicles were seen outside the couple’s £15million 18th century home in oxfordshire the bbc’s head of security made an urgent appeal on wednesday for former special forces personnel to take part in the operation, the mail on sunday reported a security source told the paper: ‘a select group of close protection officers were told that, as a direct result of the top gear punch up and jeremy clarkson being sacked by the bbc, the d g had received a death threat ‘some of the operation was visible, as a deterrent, while other bodyguards would have kept a very low profile’ lord hall sacked clarkson, 54, after an internal inquiry found he had launched an ‘unprovoked verbal and physical attack’ on junior producer oisin tymon, 36 visible security: lord hall leaves his home last week accompanied by guards, with the bill expected to run into the thousands  the row broke out after the star complained no hot food was available at the yorkshire hotel where the tv crew were staying after a day’s filming last night scotland yard said police were investigating an allegation of threats to kill after the email to lord hall a spokesman added: ‘inquiries are ongoing to establish where the email came from at the moment we think it was sent from abroad ‘we do not have any officers guarding him the security is being organised by the bbc’ police sources played down the seriousness of the potential threat to lord hall one said: ‘this is very much a local investigation by the bobbies in the borough of westminster it would be wrong to think that there are a crack team of detectives on it ‘we’ve not considered it necessary to take officers away from other duties to guard him’ tory politician philip davies, who sits on the commons culture, media and sport committee, said: ‘the police are best placed to know how serious this threat is obviously the person who sent it is some kind of nutter but you never know what these people are capable of ‘the bbc are in a difficult position if they do nothing about it and something dreadful happens, they will be criticised but if they take some action and nothing happens, they will be accused of over reacting’ london protection services boasts of having 1,000 certified guards available nationwide and is said to charge £300 per man per shift the bbc said: ‘we wouldn’t comment on security matters’ n chris evans has denied rumours that he is being lined up to replace clarkson on top gear the radio 2 and one show host, 48, who collects classic cars, has said he would not take the job even if it was offered
bbc bill thousands of pounds hours jeremy clarkson
bbc hired bodyguards to protect lord hall after he received a death threat . bill to licence fee payers is expected to run into thousands of pounds . threat was not grave enough for police officers to guard director general . email was sent hours after he announced sacking of jeremy clarkson 