Jeremy Clarkson described current self-assessment laws for over 70s as a 'joke'

Described the Queen as a 'wise old bird' and hopes she stops Philip from driving

Prince Philip, 97, collided with Kia on 60mph A-road near Sandringham, Norfolk

Jeremy Clarkson has joined calls for Prince Philip to lose his licence following his horror smash on Thursday.

The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, had to be pulled from the wreckage after his Range Rover collided with a Kia on a 60mph A-road shortly after leaving Sandringham.

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The vehicle was carrying a nine-month-old baby, its mother, 28, and another woman, 45, who suffered a broken arm and an injured knee, but the child was unhurt.

His crash has sparked a debate about what age people should give up driving.

Mr Clarkson, writing in the Sun, said: 'Yes, well, while I’m very glad that no one was seriously hurt, I’m afraid my reaction was: “What the bloody hell is a man of that age doing behind the wheel of a car?”

Jeremy Clarkson called for Prince Philip to lose his licence following his horror smash on Thursday

Prince Philip was 'conscious but very shocked and shaken' after a dramatic crash near his Sandringham Estate

Philip is believed to have just left Sandringham, and was turning on to the A149 at this junction when he collided with a Kia and his car cartwheeled on to the other side of the road

'Yes, dreary motoring groups always tell us that older drivers are safer than “young yobboes” but I’m not so sure.'

He goes on to describe the current law, which sees motorists over 70 completing a self-assessment every three years, as a 'joke'.

Mr Clarkson added: 'Mrs Queen, however, is a wise old bird. As far as I know she hasn’t put a foot wrong in her entire life.

'Let’s hope she keeps that up now, and sends her husband’s licence back to Swansea.'

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New figures from 2018 show that the number of drivers aged over 70 referred by the DVLA for extra testing increased by a fifth, from 4,424 to 5,500.

Experts have suggested Prince Philip could be prosecuted or be forced to hand back his driving licence, as a row rages over whether he is too old to be on the roads.

Norfolk Police told MailOnline yesterday they are treating it like any other road traffic collision, meaning they are likely to question the Duke once he is recovered. A force spokesman said: 'The incident will be investigated and any appropriate action taken'.

He describe the current law, which sees motorists over 70 completing a self-assessment every three years, as a 'joke'. Pictured: Mr Clarkson at a launch event for The Grand Tour earlier this week

The Palace have said the Duke of Edinburgh, pictured in 2017, does have an up-to-date licence

Prince Philip had a new Land Rover delivered to the Queen's Norfolk estate to replace the old one yesterday

The Queen will be 'very annoyed' with her husband, according to royal expert Ingrid Seward, and Prince Charles said recently he was 'always worried' about his father's determination to keep driving well into his nineties.

If Philip was at fault for the smash he could be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention - but could avoid court by surrendering his driving licence, 'Mr Loophole' Nick Freeman has said.

Despite the ongoing police investigation a new Land Rover Freelander was delivered to Sandringham today, suggesting Philip is not ready to give up driving just yet.

The crash also raises major security questions after it emerged there was no royal protection officer in the car with him - but it is understood the royal's bodyguards followed in a car behind.

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Roy Warne, 75, was driving home from hospital with his wife Victoria, 72, who had just been given the all clear from breast cancer, when he saw the Duke's car 'tumbling across the road'.

He helped free the 'conscious' but 'very shaken and shocked' royal through the 4x4's sunroof as the Duke shouted: 'My legs! Where should I put my legs?'

Mr Warne said: 'He [Philip] wasn't rude. He was very shaken and he went and asked: "Is everyone else alright?". He's a very brave man. He didn't make a big fuss about it'.

He added: 'He is lucky to be alive. I saw the Duke's car careering, tumbling across the road - it ended up on the other side, having rolled right over. It was an astonishing escape for everyone. People could have been killed. The impact was enormous'.

Mr Warne said he wasn't sure where the Duke's security detail had been but added that police arrived on the scene in a different car 'very quickly', once he had pulled Philip out.