BBC 'still waiting' for Huw Edwards to pay back £200k after child abuse arrest

BBC boss Tim Davie said the corporation was still "waiting" for Huw Edwards to hand back £200,000 in salary paid to him after his arrest for "appalling crimes".

The director-general said there was "no doubt" the newsreader's guilt over child abuse photos "impacts our reputation" and impaired viewers' trust.

He said he "can't see" Edwards working for the BBC again after he accessed images of children potentially as young as seven and was given a six-month suspended jail term. At a Royal Television Society conference, he was asked about the £200,000.

Mr Davie said: "We want the money back and we've asked for it back, and we're waiting to hear back. There's been discussions between legal teams and I believe that's as far as we can go at this point."

Presenter Amol Rajan asked why Edwards' pay continued after the BBC was made aware of allegations about him.

Mr Davie replied: "We decided that pay continues until someone is charged", adding: "I think it was the right decision.Trust in the BBC is essential, and I hope we do the right things.

"I don't think the public is stupid, they can see when we're taking actions, acting in good faith."

Asked what will happen to archived content of the presenter, Mr Davie said that the BBC has "never completely banned and ripped someone out of the archive.

"There may be a documentary, a contextual piece, where we're seeing images from people who are no longer working with us [who] have been, frankly, disgraced. " He went on: "The primary concern is for victims, families...the secret life this guy was leading was shocking.

"When The Sun did their work and we suspended, to be fair, we suspended immediately, it was quick."

Mr Davie added: "We're just shocked and there's a lot of upset because across the BBC we've got great teams, good people and they feel deeply, deeply let down."

He was "optimistic" the BBC "is changing" and added that it is now "50% over-50 women".