BBC deals with 400 cases of bullying and sexual harassment

...but just eight people are fired in seven years

- By Matthew Davis

BBC bosses have dealt internally with more than 400 claims of bullying and sexual harassment in the past seven years — but fired only eight people.

The dossier of cases at the broadcaster included staff alleging they were victimised because of their age, disability, race or religion, as well as employees claiming they were set upon by sex-pest colleagues.

Among the tally of 411 claims were also people at the Corporation who say they were picked on because of their sexual orientation or because they were pregnant.

In 286 of the cases the complaints were rejected. In only eight cases the offender was fired and in another three the alleged perpetrator resigned.

During the past seven years there were nine written warnings given to staff for sexually harassing colleagues and 28 to employees considered to have bullied their workmates.