Scott Mills sacked

[Ihateboris]

Link here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckge1yn50y8o
Very happy as I can't stand him

I'm more surprised by the thought that Vernon could be speechless!

Yet another disgusting bloke sexually abusing kids while working for the BBC.

We have radio 2 on all day at work and, said JV usually covers current news....but that would be quite awkward to cover a story about a work colleague.....then half an hour later, he popped up to say what was being included in his show today.. .and mentioned Scott Mills. Quite astonishing! I dont think there's been an item on Tim Westwood yet....

Oof just listened back. You can really hear the cogs turning with Vernon as he lets that one hang. Didn't want to be drawn into any 'banter' with Jeremy (safer ground with the seagulls though).

It actually raises a more interesting question of control in the BBC. Who is allowing what? JV isn't autonomous I presume, so what are the optics here? Who is sacking whom, but then allowing the same organisation to have a kind of 'trial by listener'...when the listener has only hearsay and half facts.

It's all very meta. Very Black Mirror.

Re employment law...

The BBC in its first statement said "..we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC."

AFAIK employment law does not apply to contractors, who are not deemed employees.

I'm sure the Beeb has had lawyers go over its grounds for terminating his contract.

😂

Im watching BBC2 news right now and the broadcaster is saying he groomed an under age boy. New evidence and new enquiry to be carried out. It was felt the original complaint was not investigated properly much like those girls up north.

Wow, you know something about the case that the police and CPS didn't?

Well they obviously have some concrete evidence now

Interview under caution is voluntary but you are given your PACE caution.

Interviewed whilst you have been arrested is subject to the 24 hour time limit (more if extension granted by the mag) and obviously you are held in detention in police cell for the latter. They often don't interview straight away in that case obvs. Its very unpleasant for those who don't experience it regularly.

A "caution" is a very different thing. Its where you have admitted a minor offence and non-judicial resolution to the matter by the police which are "spent" immediately but can come up on your DBS check for 2-6 years. On your police record forever tho.

They actually said "Mills groomed an under-age boy" and the case is being reopened? No other news outlet is reporting that.

The BBC or the police?

Both

Thsts what they just said.

The BBC News website is quoting the Met Police.

"Police say teenage boy at centre of Scott Mills sexual offences investigation was under 16"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwykq2lqjw7o

I can see why – that person works in close proximity with children, plus teachers have to abide by teaching standards. A radio DJ who the CPS found didn't have a case to answer isn't the same. And I can't believe for a second no one at Radio 1 knew he wasn't being investigated at the time.

The police haven't said a peep about reopening the case though, which means the BBC are going off the word of someone whose previous allegations were dismissed by the CPS. Very dodgy ground to be on.

Well I can understand it if they're saying the bbc expects certain standards from their staff, but you're absolutely right as they must have known at the time.

www.tyla.com/news/scott-mills-sexual-offence-investigation-under-16-police-958717-20260331

It’ll be interesting if they are investigating grooming given grooming as an offence came into the statute books in 2003, and his offences pre-date that law.

Very interested to hear how they screen the calls and who they choose for airtime.

It will either go 'let's not judge until we know the details' (which would be awful and seriously unhelpful for any victim to hear) OR 'the bbc should have done their due-diligence' (which is bad for the bbc) OR 'he's a pervy paedo and I'm glad he's gone' which...well... I'm not defending SM, but if his mental health is poor, they need to be very careful before getting the nation to stick the boot in.

If he’s charged with an offence then he’ll be prosecuted.

Agreed. Either there’s more to come or SM has broken his contract in some way. Could it be possible that in light of Saville, Edwards and Brand that new BBC contracts for big talent have a disclosure clause. Something along the lines of a duty to report any and all current and past contact with authorities regarding cases involving minors?

Any legal bods about who can shed light on if such a contract clause is possible/ legal?

In any case, I strongly suspect that in the next 48 hours, we will know much more.

Totally agree. It is beyond stupid for the BBC and Radio 2 itself to be doing a phone-in on this. It's like everyone's decided he must be guilty when the CPS already ruled seven years ago that there was no case to answer in court. I understand he's a pretty fragile character and prone to heavy drinking – his own former colleagues adding to the pile-on is shameful.

What do you think he'll be charged with now that he wasn't charged with in 2019?