Jeremy Clarkson and James May have led tributes to fellow Top Gear presenter Quentin Willson, who died on Saturday aged 68.

Willson was a co-host on the BBC motoring programme between 1991 and 2001, presenting alongside the two before Clarkson's revamp of the show. He went on to present Fifth Gear on Channel 5.

May, who appeared with Willson on the original Top Gear in the 1990s, called him a "great bloke", while Clarkson described him as a "properly funny man".

The Leicester-born father-of-three, who worked as a campaigner and electric vehicle advocate, died after a short battle with lung cancer, his family said in a statement.

They described him as a "national treasure" and "true consumer champion", adding: "Quentin brought the joy of motoring, from combustion to electric, into our living rooms."

They went on to say: "The void he has left can never be filled. His knowledge was not just learned but lived; a library of experience now beyond our reach."

May, who went on to become part of the revived Top Gear presenting team, wrote on X that Willson "gave me proper advice and encouragement during my earliest attempts at TV, back in the late 90s", adding: "I've never forgotten it."

Clarkson recalled: "We had some laughs over the years."

Willson was Top Gear's used car expert, known for his wry delivery and scathing reviews.

In one review, he described Jaguars as being "the domain of spivs, crooks and bookmakers".

He also presented The Car's the Star for the BBC and The Classic Car Show on Channel 5, and worked as a motoring journalist for Classic Cars magazine and the Mirror. He was named motoring writer of the year at the British Press Awards in 2004.