BBC presenter involved in scandal should have been taken off the air, Labor say

Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, said that “The BBC and other broadcasters need to pull themselves together.” Photo: James Manning. /PA

A BBC presenter accused of paying a vulnerable teenager thousands of pounds for candid photos and videos should not have been on the air after the complaint was filed, the Labor Party said as the corporation was urged to “take itself into hands.”< /p>

Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, said the BBC's response was “not good enough” after an unknown presenter allegedly sent more than £35,000 to the then teenager, dating back to three years ago when they was 17 years old.

They are said to have used the money to fund cocaine addiction, with the recipient's mother accusing the star of “ruining my child's life.”

Ms Reeves told Sophy Ridge Sky on Sunday that the allegations question ethics, investigations [and] how long it takes.”

“The BBC, as well as other broadcasters, need to pull themselves together because we seem to be swinging from one scandal to another and more needs to be done,” she said.

Asked about allegations that the corporation first became aware of the claims on May 19 but continued to keep the anchor on the air, she replied: “I think the point is that someone files a complaint — a very serious complaint — and then TV the next night, and they're still there.

“And that's not enough – it's disrespectful to the people, the victims, and therefore a full investigation is needed.”

“The BBC will have to act very quickly”

Ms Reeves urged broadcasters to “speed up a lot” their investigations in comments echoed by Victoria Atkins, finance secretary at the Treasury Department, who said the BBC must now deal “very quickly” with the claims, first reported by The Sun on Friday.

“These are very, very serious allegations and the BBC has said they have processes in place,” Ms Atkins told Sky. “But as public attention and concern grows, the BBC will have to act very quickly to sort out these allegations and determine what they are doing to investigate them.”

The BBC has not confirmed if the presenter was taken off the air as a result statements.

The mother of the intended recipient told The Sun that her child used large sums of money to help fund the growing rift. addiction to cocaine, resulting in them becoming “crack addicts”.

A spokesman for the BBC said the company takes any allegations “very seriously” and has procedures in place to actively respond to them.

>The spokesman added: “As part of this, if we receive information requiring further investigation or investigation, we will take steps to do so. This includes actively trying to talk to those who have contacted us in order to get more information and understand the situation.

“If we do not receive a response to our attempts or receive further contact that may limit our opportunities to progress, but this does not mean that our investigations are stopped. If at any time new information is discovered or provided, including through newspapers, appropriate action will be taken on it in accordance with internal processes.”