BBC 'no plans' to employ presenter Ray Gosling again

A television presenter who claimed on air that he killed his dying lover will not work for the BBC again, the corporation said.

Ray Gosling told viewers of the East Midlands' Inside Out show he smothered Tony Judson with a pillow.

He was initially arrested on suspicion of murder, but later admitted wasting police time after his confession was determined to be false.

The BBC said it had "no plans" to use the 71-year-old freelancer in future.

His solicitor, Digby Johnson, declined to comment.

During the documentary about so-called mercy killings, broadcast on 15 February, Gosling said: "I killed someone once. He was a young chap, he'd been my lover and he got Aids.

'Deep distress'

"I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead."

He repeated his claim the following day, in an interview with BBC Breakfast's Bill Turnbull.

Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation, but later charged him with wasting officers' time.

Gosling pleaded guilty to the offence at Nottingham Magistrates' Court in September, and was given a 90-day suspended sentence.

Before the hearing, he told journalists: "I was not even in the country when he died, but I would have done it."

The judge told him: "Your plea and apologies cannot take away the deep distress you voluntarily caused to the people in the process of creating and maintaining this cruel fabrication."

Following the hearing, the BBC said it regretted broadcasting Gosling's claims and apologised to viewers for any distress caused.