Sometimes, people disappoint me so much thanks to being so ridiculously predictable. Yesterday, in my review of Top Gear (BBC Two, Sunday, 8pm) I said “Hammond, May and Clarkson all started chuckling away at some smoking pipes made by Porsche, to which (middle England, complaint pens at the ready) all the presenters lit up and enjoyed a good smoke whilst reclining in tatty old armchairs.” Guess what?

The BBC has come under fire (ho! The irony) after the smoking of the pipes which has caused anti-smoking campaigners to complain. Yep. Some people have got absolutely nothing better to do with their time. Campaigners have asked the BBC to apologise for the segment, but the corporation claimed that it had not broken the law because the presenters were not smoking tobacco.

Now, the Top Gear gang were actually smoking a honey and herb mixture (not ‘erb you understand) but that doesn’t matter as, rather embarrassingly for the Beeb, it’s actually illegal to light up anything for smoking purposes in a work environment.

Spokesperson for anti-smoking group Ash, Amanda Sandford, said: “It was a blatant breach of the law and the BBC should offer an immediate apology that acknowledges what they have done. I understand it was meant to be a light-hearted part of the programme but it does not excuse the fact that they were flouting the law. It is inappropriate to have people smoking and breaking the law as blatantly as they did.”

A BBC representative said: “During an item in last night’s Top Gear, making fun of car merchandise, the presenters lit up branded pipes, which contained herbal tobacco. We are very upfront about the style and tone of the show, so viewers know what to expect. There were no complaints from members of the audience present during the filming.”

Now, knowing the Top Gear team, they probably did this on purpose, knowing exactly the kind of response they’d get. I think I’m right in assuming that they couldn’t care less about the fallout from this pathetic outpouring of complaining. I imagine that Clarkson will offer the words “sorry” in the next show, but I wouldn’t bet against it being incredibly sarcastic or included amongst “we’re not at all…”. If we’re to believe that the nation is gullible and dim and willing to take up any activity endorsed by a celebrity, then the pipe revolution starts here. [Mof Gimmers, smoking a fag at his desk whilst working]