GET A GRIP

>> BBC 'was too slow to act' over complaint. >> Star is suspended on sexual pics claims. >>Cops called after '£35K paid to victim'

- NICOLA METHVEN

BBC bosses were last night under fire over taking so long to suspend the presenter accused of paying a teenager £35,000 for sexual images over the past three years.

The broadcaster has now reported the allegations to police. But questions remained over why the star has only just been dropped, seven weeks after the allegations were made on May 19.

And it was claimed yesterday he had attended an awards ceremony along with BBC bosses last month.

Refusing to name the host also led to wild speculation online over the identity of the figure. Three stars, Gary Lineker, Rylan Clarke and Jeremy Vine, had to issue denials after their names were mentioned.

BBC director general CRITICISM RaTim Davie claimed the reason for the delay was that the full picture only emerged last week, when the alleged victim's mum gave new information to a newspaper.

But Labour's Rachel Reeves urged the BBC to get its house in order, after it was hit by the third scandal this year.

In a reference to Phillip Schofield quitting ITV over his affair with a young colleague, the Shadow Chancellor said: "The BBC, but also other broadcasters, need to get a grip because we seem to lurch from one scandal to another.

"The idea that some presenters think they can act with impunity and get away with these sorts of things calls into question PHONE CALL the ethics, the investigations, how long these things take. When serious allegations are made I don't think it is right people stay in those jobs while investigations go on. There needs to be a full investigation."

Former ITN boss Stewart Purvis said: "We want to know what was the BBC's appetite for getting to the truth."