BBC is accused of breaching impartiality rules after civil servants wrote and fact-checked articles on small boats and Covid

Whitehall officials on secondment to the newsroom received bylines presenting them as part of BBC Verify or the wider news operation. Over eight years, 39 civil servants have done three- or six-month placements, with their salaries covered by the Civil Service. One wrote copy on population statistics for a migration piece and also checked the accuracy of assertions about crime rates across different nationalities.

Four further Whitehall candidates are set to arrive at the broadcaster next year.