BBC 'biased towards law change to allow euthanasia'

The BBC was today accused of running a campaign to promote assisted suicide.

A group of MPs attacked the "ingrained bias" of staff at the corporation towards a change in the law to allow euthanasia.

They claimed that over the past three years the BBC had shown five major programmes sympathetic to assisted dying but none against.

Seven MPs have signed a motion tabled by Labour's Jim Dobbin, chair of the all-party pro-life group, calling for bosses to launch an inquiry into whether impartiality rules have been breached.

It follows controversy over author Sir Terry Pratchett's documentary which showed a man taking a lethal dose of barbiturates at the Swiss Dignitas clinic.

The MPs said the BBC had failed to report condemnation by doctors while covering a Swiss vote which supported euthanasia. The BBC denied the claims, saying anti-euthanasia campaigners had appeared on air "countless" times.