The Editorial Standards Committee of the BBC Trust has published its findings into a complaint that was made by the Countryside Alliance in response to an article that was published by BBC presenter Chris Packham in the September 2015 edition of the BBC Wildlife Magazine.
Please follow this link for the full report.
In response to the BBC Trust decision Countryside Alliance Chief Executive, Tim Bonner, said:
"The fact that the BBC Trust's whitewash is no surprise does not make it any less ridiculous. Claiming that Mr Packham is not a BBC presenter is utterly incredible. It shows how desperate the BBC was to exonerate its 'talent' that it could not come up with a better excuse.
"This ruling sends out a message to Mr Packham, and any other BBC presenters who are so minded, that they are free to use the status awarded to them by their work for our publicly funded broadcaster to bully and abuse.
"With this decision the Trust has done huge damage to the BBC's reputation in the countryside. We will not, however, let this lie. During this lengthy complaints process Mr Packham has continued to use his position to attack rural interests and we will consider resubmitting a complaint to the new regulator when the Trust has been abolished."