BBC boss admits incident is ‘clearly damaging’ but defends delay in putting allegations to presenter – as it happened

Journalists outside the BBC’s headquarters in London. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP

3.05pm BST

Afternoon summary

The scandal surrounding allegations levelled against an unnamed BBC presenter continues to rumble on as the corporation’s director general took questions on the furore.

Here are the key developments from the day so far:

• The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said the allegations were “shocking and concerning” and the government is “reassured the process (the BBC) are taking is rigorous and will be swift”.

• The work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride, said he would not use parliamentary privilege to identify the BBC presenter at the centre of the scandal in an apparent move to discourage fellow MPs from taking that decision.

• The press accountability campaign group, Hacked Off, said the Sun newspaper had questions to answer over its handling of the story after it emerged the young person at the heart of the controversy refuted its reporting of the matter.

• The BBC was asked to pause its investigation into allegations one of its presenters paid a teenager for explicit images “while the police scope future work” following a meeting with the Metropolitan police, the corporation has said.

• The BBC published an updated timeline of events that revealed the corporation attempted to contact the complainant – reportedly the young person’s mother and stepfather – twice but received no response.

• Tim Davie, the director general, said he had not spoken to the presenter involved as he revealed the allegations were initially considered to be “very serious” but not criminal when the corporation was first approached in May.

Updated at 3.30pm BST

2.52pm BST

Authorities should be “given time” to investigate the allegations surrounding a BBC presenter, Downing Street has said.

Pressed on the potential use of parliamentary privilege by MPs to name the suspended star, the prime minister’s official spokesperson told reporters:

Obviously we support freedom of speech, but this is a sensitive issue which is being looked at carefully, and the relevant authorities need to be given the appropriate time to carry out that work.

Asked about the Tory deputy chair, Lee Anderson, calling the BBC a “safe haven for perverts”, the spokesperson said:

Obviously the BBC is a vital institution, much cherished by the British public and continues to do vital important work.

And that’s why, as ministers have made clear, it’s important that they establish the facts and act appropriately in this case.

The spokesperson denied Sunak was trying to avoid finding out who the suspended BBC presenter is, in order to evade questions.

When this was put to the spokesperson, he told reporters:

I wouldn’t characterise it like that. I mean, the prime minister is at the Nato summit and yesterday had the president of the United States here, so obviously his time is taken up with those issues. It’s for the BBC and others to look into this one.

Updated at 2.57pm BST