Cost-cutting BBC pays its staff £20m in bonuses

The BBC paid out almost £20million in staff bonuses last year - a £2 million increase - despite a cost-cutting review.

The figures, which were not revealed in last month's annual report, show one member of staff received an extra £100,739 on top of their salary, in the financial year up to July.

BBC Worldwide chief John Smith was given the second highest share at £87,000 after Director-General Mark Thompson announced he and the other senior management would forgo their bonuses because of financial constraints and the failure to meet ethnic recruitment targets.

Nearly half the corporation's 23,000 employees received bonuses of an average £1,805 each. The total payout equates to 143,000 annual licence fees.

Only executive board members' identities are disclosed, with Deputy Director-General Mark Byford, who received £40,000, the only other employee named in the top 10 highest bonuses.

The money was paid out last August to staff who had met their performance targets in the previous year as 2,340 jobs were axed in the same period.

Last month BBC bosses gave themselves pay rises of up to £38,000 just a week after Mr Thompson announced he would waive his bonus for the third year running. However his salary rose by £15,000 to £624,000, a £75,000 increase since 2004-05.

Last year, during a series of leaks, it was revealed that presenter Jonathan Ross was on an £18 million three-year deal.