Outspoken television presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been invited on a dinner date with county council bosses to celebrate his love of car travel and political incorrectness, sparking anger from environmental campaigners.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell has written to Mr Clarkson, who lives near Chipping Norton, offering him lunch at an expensive restaurant and free use of a council parking space.

The dinner date follows a resolution made by the council on September 13 to applaud his honorary degree from Oxford Brookes University.

The Top Gear presenter was hit in the face with a custard pie when he went to collect his degree.

Environmental campaigners say the resolution to praise Mr Clarkson and the lunch invitation are a waste of council time.

Mr Mitchell said: "The time is mine and the money is mine. I will be treating him, not the council. The resolution was passed by a good majority of the council, it was a democratic decision and the letter was mine. No-one should be upset whom I take out for lunch.

"There were 39 members of the council who took the same view as me and there are a number of different reasons for what I did. I think his willingness to challenge political correctness in an amusing way and the way he dealt with the custard pie incident showed he is a fully paid- up member of the human race.

"I'm sure we will discuss Oxford's transport system over lunch but he is a very busy man."

If Mr Clarkson takes up the offer, he will dine with Mr Mitchell and several of his council colleagues at the expensive Living Room at Oxford Castle next month with free parking at the council's offices next door.

Mr Clarkson was 'flanned in the face at last week's presentation by environmental campaigners who had twice written to Oxford Brookes University to fight the honorary degree.

The Green Party fears Mr Clarkson's rally cry for car travel encourages pollution. Members were angered when he called for motorists to knock down cyclists at traffic lights.

Sushila Dhall, Green Party county councillor for Oxford West and Central, said: "It's a waste of council time. I'm sure he will be an entertaining guest but as a council, we should be taking people to lunch who have done great things for the public.

"I think the Conservatives are just doing it to annoy people and it's very childish. As a party, we are rabidly opposed to everything Jeremy Clarkson stands for."

Labour county councillor Barbara Gatehouse said: "They simply shouldn't be taking one person out and paying for lunch when there are other things that should be done."

Rob Smith, general manager at the Living Room, said: "We would be happy to have them here, we welcome everybody."

The council decided to congratulate Mr Clarkson for his enthusiasm and contribution to engineering and motor sports.