BBC civil war over Panorama probe casting doubt on witness

BBC executives are at loggerheads over an explosive documentary which threatens to cast doubt over ‘Nick’ and his claims.

Dubbed an ‘attack on victims’ by some in the BBC, the Panorama investigation was ‘anticipated’ to air in April, but sources claim senior figures have delayed its broadcast amid fears it could ignite another scandal at the Corporation.

The ‘open and legitimate’ programme was commissioned around the end of last year and set out to establish what is actually known about the supposed sex ring.

But the project has sparked a civil war with BBC News, which has given enormous weight to Nick, the witness at the centre of the abuse claims against an alleged group of prominent paedophiles. BBC News exec- utives are now concerned the investigation will discredit their earlier reports, and reopen old wounds about the way the Corporation covers stories about sexual abuse.

BBC’s Newsnight infamously dropped an investigation into sexual abuse claims against former BBC host Jimmy Savile, amid concerns his accusers were unreliable, sparking one of the biggest scandals in its history.

The show is now expected to air in October, but insiders predict it could be pushed back even further. A BBC spokesman said: ‘At any one time the BBC is working on a number of investigations and we don’t comment on these.’