YORK council leader James Alexander has complained to the BBC’s director general about a Panorama report which he claims denigrated the work of authority staff.

Coun Alexander wrote to Tony Hall after what he called the “grossly unfair” TV documentary on Monday night claimed that vulnerable children in the city were placed in residential accommodation that was only “adequate” or “inadequate.”

Coun Alexander said York had a low number of children in residential accommodation and was often used as an “exemplar” in this field, and he was therefore very surprised by the claims.

He said: “It is in fact the case that our looked-after children in residential care are in accommodation rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

“It has transpired that the Freedom of Information request submitted by Panorama to the council asked if our accommodation was either rated ‘adequate’ or ‘inadequate’. Without an option for ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, City of York Council responded ‘adequate’ as our accommodation was not ‘inadequate’.”

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the complaint and will respond to it in due course.”