Jeremy Vine demands BBC transparency over how much broadcaster quizzed him about his crimes

BBC Radio 2 and Channel 5 presenter Jeremy Vine has demanded that the BBC be transparent about how much it grilled newsreader Huw Edwards about his crimes when he was arrested on suspicion of making indecent images of children.

The ex-BBC stalwart has since pleaded guilty in court and no longer works for the broadcaster - having been arrested in November last year but staying on the payroll until April. Questions have been raised about why he continued to receive his large salary - as the highest-paid newsreader at the corporation - for five months after his arrest.

Vine said: “You can’t justify paying him beyond November if you know he’s guilty. We need to find out if BBC said, what (were you arrested) for and are you guilty? If he said to them, ‘It’s for these serious offences, but I’m not guilty,’ then I would think you could start to take action to get the money back.

“Because that clearly is a lie. He’s admitted he’s guilty. I don’t know whether the BBC asked him ‘Are you guilty?’ because you can’t justify paying him beyond November if you know he’s guilty.

“The information may have come from an intermediary who says I’ve got no more information than this – Huw has been arrested. What a mess and the poor BBC at the centre. It has terrible moments, but there are precious reasons why we don’t want it to go down the swanny.

“This is not the day to defend it because this is a bad, bad week. I couldn’t believe yesterday when I heard that the BBC had been told about it in November.”