BBC boss defends Moira Stuart sacking

Changing roles, not advancing age, lay behind the decision to remove Moira Stuart from her regular TV news slot, says the BBC's director general Mark Thompson.

BBC Online reports him telling a House of Commons select committee that TV news was now being presented by journalists who could undertake a wider variety of roles.

He said talks with the 55-year-old newsreader about her future BBC role were taking place and that she remained 'very valued and loved' by colleagues and the public.

Moira joined BBC News in 1981 and recently left Sunday AM.

Allegations in the press that Stuart was replaced because she was too old were 'not true', says Thompson.

Mr Thompson said: "BBC News, News 24 and the radio networks have changed over the years and the traditional role of the news reader, as opposed to a correspondent or presenter, has virtually died out over the services."

"We tend to use journalists across BBC news programmes to read the headlines."

Conservative MP Nigel Evans said: "If this is how you treat someone who's much loved, I'd hate to see how you treat someone you don't like."

Thompson added that the matter would be discussed at a meeting of the BBC Trust on Wednesday.