Scott Mills Statement: BBC confirms 2017 police inquiry was known before sacking
scott mills statement opened the crisis for the broadcaster: Scott Mills, the Radio 2 breakfast show host, said he fully cooperated with a police inquiry that began after an allegation in 2016. The terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March (ET) after it obtained new information relating to his conduct; the Metropolitan Police previously closed a related investigation in May 2019 (ET).
Key facts and timeline
The confirmed it was first made aware in 2017 of an ongoing Metropolitan Police investigation into historical allegations of sexual abuse. In recent weeks the said it obtained fresh information and spoke directly with Scott Mills; the corporation said it acted “decisively in line with our culture and values” and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March (ET).
The Metropolitan Police said an allegation was made in 2016 about a historic sexual offence. Mills was interviewed under caution in 2018 (ET) and a full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges; the force said the investigation was closed in May 2019 (ET).
The alleged offences were said by the Metropolitan Police to have taken place between 1997 and 2000 and the original complaint was made in Hampshire, the presenter’s native county. Until last week, Mills had presented the Radio 2 breakfast show after taking over from the previous host the prior January and had grown its audience to 6. 5 million listeners, the said.
Scott Mills Statement and immediate reactions
Scott Mills, Radio 2 breakfast show host, issued a public statement saying: “An allegation was made against me in 2016 of a historic sexual offence which was the subject of a police investigation in which I fully cooperated and responded to in 2018. ” He said a file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service and that the evidential threshold to bring charges was not met.
The said: “What we can confirm is that in recent weeks, we obtained new information relating to Scott and we spoke directly with him. As a result, the acted decisively in line with our culture and values and terminated his contracts on Friday 27 March. ” The corporation added there are limits to what it can say while mindful of the rights of those involved.
The Metropolitan Police said a full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which advised that the evidential threshold had not been met and that the investigation was closed in May 2019 (ET).
Quick context
The has highlighted an ongoing drive to improve culture, processes and standards after an independent culture review last year and said it would act where behavioural expectations were not met. Mills’ husband, Sam Vaughan, has not publicly commented on the developments.
What happens next
Further public developments will depend on any new information disclosed by the, the Crown Prosecution Service or the Metropolitan Police. For now the has ended its relationship with Mills and the file previously submitted to the CPS remained closed in May 2019 (ET); observers will watch for any formal updates or statements from the institutions involved as the story continues to unfold.
For clarity and transparency, readers are left with the central document in this episode: the scott mills statement and the institutional responses that followed.
