Complaints about the use of a controversial number plate which appeared to refer to the Falklands conflict on Top Gear’s Patagonia special have been rejected by the BBC Trust.

The show sparked a diplomatic incident in Argentina when its crew fled the country over the use of a Porsche with the registration number H982 FKL.

The programme went on to form part of the BBC’s Christmas schedule.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on stage
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May on stage (Liam McBurney/PA)

Some complained they did not believe the car number plate was a randomly allocated number, but was a deliberate reference to the Falklands War.

They said the decision to air the programme as a “Christmas Special” was particularly offensive.

Another complainant accused the BBC of a “cover-up” and said they needed to see evidence of the purchase of the car to prove the “amazing coincidence”.

Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson (Anthony Devlin/PA)

But the trust’s complaints and appeals board said there was no evidence “which demonstrated that the use of the number plate was a deliberate reference to the Falklands War”.

The complaint was originally rejected by the BBC Executive but was sent to the Trust on appeal.

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are believed to be negotiating with a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon after Jeremy was axed following his attack on producer Oisin Tymon.

They recently appeared on stage for the opening night of Clarkson, Hammond and May Live.