BBC chiefs forced to turn down £350,000 bonuses after missing diversity targets

Director general Mark Thompson and his top executives will forego payments worth £350,000 after the corporation missed targets to make its workforce more diverse.

The BBC hoped to have 12.5 per cent of its staff from minority ethnic backgrounds, with 7 per cent at senior management grade, by December.

It had also pledged to have a 4 per cent representation of disabled men and women in its workforce.

A recruitment freeze over the past three years has hampered its efforts, however.

A lower-than-expected licence fee settlement is also likely to see more job cuts, on top of the 3,500 already axed in a cost- cutting drive.

Last year, the corporation came under attack for awarding its top brass £232,000 in bonuses, despite the cutbacks.

It was also criticised for awarding executives significant pay increases, when it was revealed that Mr Thompson's salary was £609,000 a year while his deputy Mark Byford got £403,000.

Mr Thompson, who has not taken his bonus for the past two years, will now be joined by other senior executives, including Mr Byford.

Bosses hope the move will send a signal to staff that they recognise how tough the redundancies have been for the workforce.

Mr Thompson said: "All of my colleagues on the BBC Direction Group met the majority of their objectives and were eligible for bonuses. However, they and I have collectively decided to waive this contractual right on this occasion."

He added that directors could expect to get their bonuses in future years, as long as performance objectives were met.