In total the BBC has paid out more than £300,000 after making false allegations that Lord McAlpine was involved in child abuse, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
Broadcast Now report:
The BBC has agreed to pay Lord McAlpine a further £117,000 in legal costs after an erroneous Newsnight report implicated the Tory peer in child abuse claims.
The corporation paid McAlpine £185,000 in damages in November last year, but a Freedom of Information disclosure has revealed that the BBC has also agreed to foot his legal bills for the case.
The BBC’s external legal costs relating to the matter hit £3,000, meaning it has spent a total of £305,000 to resolve the mistake made by Newsnight. It is understood to be one of the highest BBC libel payouts in its recent history.