Huw Edwards has been asked to hand back part of his annual BBC salary after pleading guilty to possession of child sex abuse images.

The amount, thought to be in the region of £200,000, is what he earned from the broadcaster for five months after he was arrested.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had previously called on the former broadcaster to return his salary.

The 62-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children at a court hearing last month.

Edwards was named among the BBC’s highest-paid stars, despite being off-air since July 2023.

In a statement, the BBC board said: “Today, the board has authorised the executive to seek the return of salary paid to Mr Edwards from the time he was arrested in November last year.”

The BBC board said Edwards had pleaded guilty to “an appalling crime” and had “clearly undermined trust” in the corporation.

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“Had he been up front when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money,” a spokesperson said.

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The board said it had reviewed information both in relation to what was known in the lead up to Edwards being charged and the handling of complaints received by the BBC last year.

The decisions taken by the Director General and his team in relation to both series of events have been supported by the board.

But it said in its statement that the BBC executive had now agreed to look again at its approach to the rules around paying employees while suspended.

The board said it was “concerned about the potential for inappropriate workplace behaviour”.

An independent review has been commissioned to recommend steps to “strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC values”.

The BBC said the terms of reference and leadership of the review would be set out in early September and will report back to the board within months.

Lisa Nandy has welcomed the BBC’s decision to launch an independent review and said public trust in the broadcaster was “essential”.

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It comes as BAFTA says it is reviewing individual awards previously handed to Edwards and a number of universities also review honours given to him.

Edwards will next appear in court on 16 September.

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