THE stars of the BBC's Top Gear programme dropped into a North Yorkshire pub for breakfast and a spell of filming ahead of their next up and coming series.

Sportsman Freddie Flintoff, comedian Paddy McGuinness and racing driver Chris Harris called into The Lion Inn in Blakey Ridge in the North York Moors on Tuesday, September 10.

The cast and crew arrived at around 8am just before the pub opened for trade, to ensure passersby did not catch wind of what was going on.

The Northern Echo:

David Crossland, partner of The Lion Inn, who agreed to the filming said: "The producers paid me a visit last week to see if the pub could be used as a base.

"They were driving around yesterday and then they came for a breakfast here this morning."

"We had to keep it quiet, they were here at around 8am and finished shooting by about 11am.

Mr Crossland said the stars used the pub's car park to film a few scenes, before wrapping up filming.

He added: "Things like this puts Blakey Ridge on the map."

It is currently not known when the next series will air, but on social media producers suggested there will be a Christmas Special.