A BEEFEATER restaurant in Oxford has cheekily invited Jeremy Clarkson for a steak.

The Top Gear presenter was suspended by the BBC last week after an alleged row about the lack of hot food provided after a day’s filming.

Staff at the Beefeater in Garsington Road have put up a sign outside inviting the presenter, who lives near Chipping Norton, to come and have a meal.

Deputy manager Andrew Thomas, pictured above with Marcelle Smith and Alice Kerr, said: “We would love to have Jeremy in and see what he says about it. We always serve hot steak so there’s no need for a fracas.”

THE election race for Oxford West and Abingdon constituency is heating up with Dr Helen Salisbury, of the National Health Action Party, campaigning in the area where the Tories and Lib Dems traditionally grab most votes.

But the plot thickens – if more candidates like Dr Salisbury split the vote then who will be the eventual winner?

Dr Salisbury, a doctor for 20 years, is standing because “she cares about preserving our NHS”, which seems fair enough, and The Insider was interested to receive her election leaflet through the door.

Sadly I have not yet been contacted by the Labour Party, with no sign of a text, email or leaflet. Still there’s 49 days left until May 7.

A HEATED debate at South Oxford Community Centre about drugs problems in the area was halted by an unexpected question.

Police Sergeant Gordon Kille opened the debate to the floor and to his surprise someone asked: “Did you ever catch the pickle thrower?”

There was a pause before the room erupted into laughter. There had been a spate of incidents where jars of pickles were thrown through car windows in the area, but Sgt Kille had to admit that his force had never been able to catch the gherkin what done it.

Safe to say the perp was not home-grown – it turned out the jars came from Asda, and as the questioner made a point of saying, there’s no Asda in South Oxford.

SOMETIMES politicians have to drop their party political allegiances to consider more important matters.

Conservative MP for Wantage MP Ed Vaizey found that to be the case when Labour MP Frank Field, who represents the Birkenhead constituency on Merseyside, was taken ill.

Mr Vaizey told his followers on Twitter: “So sorry to hear Frank Field has been taken ill.

“A brilliant & unique politician, my late father’s closest friend. Wish him speedy recovery.”

Mr Vaizey is no doubt pleased that Mr Field, Labour MP for the Wirral constituency since 1979, has returned to the Commons since being taken ill at a recent public meeting.