Hospital says Hammond has brain injury

Doctors have confirmed that Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has suffered a "significant brain injury" after being involved in a high-speed crash while filming the motoring show. Hammond, 36, was airlifted to the neurological unit at Leeds General Infirmary after the "dragster-style car" he was driving crashed at Elvington airfield, near York. A statement released by the hospital said: "Mr Hammond has suffered a significant brain injury. It's still giving cause for concern as it is still early after the injury. "However, we are reasonably optimistic that he will make a good recovery," it added. The presenter had been filming an attempt to break the British land speed record when the car, capable of reaching speeds of up to 300mph, crashed. Both the police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are currently investigating the events surrounding the crash, while the BBC itself has begun its own inquiry.