'Gangsters' Hired as Undercover TV Reporters by the BBC.

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

Background

Re: The ‘gangsters’ Christopher Guest More Junior and James Stuart Raven.

According to the BBC’s own internal documents and press releases, these two ‘gangsters’ were hired to work as undercover TV reporters by the BBC series producer Ms Fiona Campbell, who is now the controller and editor-in-chief of BBC Three.

They were first engaged by Ms Campbell on the six part series Lifting the Bonnet, which was broadcast on BBC 2 from February 28, 2002. This was after James Raven had been dismissed by a production company working with Channel 4, when they were told that Raven had a criminal record for violence. Raven declared that he had served a prison sentence for stabbing a man in an unprovoked road rage incident.

James Raven had significant criminal antecedents.

Ms Campbell then hired James Raven and Christopher Guest More Junior to work on a series called Crooked Britain, as undercover TV reporters, for which they were paid £51,864.07.

Ms Fiona Campbell was aware of James Raven’s conviction for grievous bodily harm, before he was hired, which is referenced in an interview under caution she was required to undertake on August 11, 2003. The National Crime Squad (NCS) carried out this interview, as per the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, because the NCS believed that Ms Campbell was ‘a person suspected of having committed an offence’, in relation to the programme titled Funny Money, part of the Crooked Britain series, transmitted on BBC 1 at 19:00 on June 15, 2005.

It was later established by the NCS that Ms Campbell did not commit an offence in relation to the BBC programme Funny Money.

According to the Daily Mail, Raven and Guest More Junior were paid more that £90,000 in total for their work at the BBC with Ms Campbell.

For further information please refer to:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Request

Please can you disclose a copy of the programme titled Funny Money, transmitted on BBC 1 at 19:00 on June 15, 2005.

Yours faithfully,

Paul Atkinson

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of British Broadcasting Corporation's handling of my FOI request 'Gangsters' Hired as Undercover TV Reporters by the BBC.

The information I have requested clearly falls within the ambit of the Freedom of Information Act and the BBC has previously interpreted the Act in this way – the BBC disclosed the Funny Money programme in response to an FOIA request reference number RF120191072 made on June 25, 2019.

I invite you to check your records.

If you still refuse to review the matter or refuse to disclose the transmitted TV programme Funny Money, then I will of course refer this request to the ICO.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g...

Yours faithfully,

Paul Atkinson

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

For the attention of: Head of Department.

I am writing to request that you to conduct an internal review of British Broadcasting Corporation's handling of my FOI request ''Gangsters' Hired as Undercover TV Reporters by the BBC'.

I wonder, in the first instance, if you would be kind enough to clarify the BBC’s policy in relation to Freedom of Information Act Requests?

I have been informed that the first person who considers an FOIA request on behalf of the BBC is, as per BBC policy, considered to be infallible. That is, simply incapable of making mistakes or being wrong. And it is because of this assumed infallibility, as a matter of policy, that an internal review by a more senior member of staff has been dismissed out of hand in this case. Is this correct?

I note, in relation to this request, that the person who has considered it has made no mention of having reviewed FOIA request reference number RF120191072 made on June 25, 2019. This was when the BBC interpreted the Freedom of Information Act in such a way that a transmitted TV show did fall under auspices of the Freedom of Information Act and was therefore disclosed.

Because no mention has been made of RF120191072, nor does it appear to have been considered, please re-consider my request to have this case reviewed internally, on the grounds that it has clearly been incorrectly processed by the BBC, at this time.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g...

Yours faithfully,

Paul Atkinson

Dear British Broadcasting Corporation,

My correspondence dated December 17, 2021, has asked for this FOIA application to be referred to the head of department for internal review. This is because the BBC have refused to provide a copy of a transmitted TV show, because this information, according to the BBC, is not covered by the Act; but yet the BBC have previously interpreted the Act in such a way that a transmitted TV show did fall under auspices of the Act and was therefore disclosed. (FOIA request reference number RF120191072 refers).

Today, I have received an email that appears to be from the BBC, which has not appeared on the ‘WhatDoTheyKnow’ system. This purported BBC email was timed at 08:33, which is more than two hours before my request for internal review by the head of department was sent to the BBC. Obviously the BBC email sent at 08:33 today cannot refer to the correspondence dated December 17, 2021.

For transparency, please provide an update in relation to the letter dated December 17, 2021, via the ‘WhatDoTheyKnow’ system, as this is a matter of public interest.

The public interest is that this FOIA application directly relates to a formal, and ongoing, complaint about the impartiality of the BBC’s news coverage, reference number CAS-7033678-W2J3T9.

This complaint is:

Re: The ‘gangsters’ Christopher Guest More Junior and James Stuart Raven.

According to the BBC’s own internal documents and press releases, these two ‘gangsters’ were hired to work as undercover TV reporters by the BBC series producer Ms Fiona Campbell, who is now the controller and editor-in-chief of BBC Three.

They were first engaged by Ms Campbell on the six part series Lifting the Bonnet, which was broadcast on BBC 2 from February 28, 2002.

Ms Campbell knew that Raven had a conviction for GBH when she hired him.

In relation to their work at the BBC with Ms Campbell, according to the Daily Mail, Raven and Guest More Junior were paid more that £90,000 in total.

I note that BBC News coverage of the recent trial and murder conviction of Christopher Guest More Junior makes no mention of the undercover reporting he and Raven undertook in the course of their work with Ms Campbell at the BBC.

James Raven was convicted of murder in 2004 and is currently serving a life sentence.

In this regard under Section 4.1 of the BBC’s Producers’ Guidelines, 'The BBC is committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output. This commitment is fundamental to our reputation, our values and the trust of audiences.'

The only reference to the work undertaken by Christopher Guest More Junior for the BBC is that he ‘had previously worked with investigative journalist Donal McIntyre.’ I was employed as a producer on the series MacIntyre Investigates, when Guest More Junior and Raven provided ad hoc surveillance services, on the recommendation of Ms Campbell, and most definitely did not undertake any secret filming.

My complaint is that the BBC news coverage is inaccurate in regard to the work undertaken for the BBC by Guest More Junior and Raven and is an apparent attempt to 'hide' Miss Campbell's role in hiring and using two criminals as undercover reporters.

I look forward to hearing from you in relation to the correspondence dated December 17, 2021.

A full history of my FOI request and MOST correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/g...

Yours faithfully,

Paul Atkinson