Just got my second stage reply. Have escalated and sent them a disgusted of Manchester letter! Toss pots have made a bad situation worse with their lies and excuses.
Dear Sir
I would like to take the unusual step of escalating my complaint to you - simply because I am not only unhappy with the responses I have received to date but more so because of the attitude displayed to my complaints / concerns. This is a very serious matter and to date you do not seem to be taking it seriously or appear to understand quite how inappropriate your comments are.
Firstly, you seem to think you have caused offence to me. When you need to grasp the fact that your inappropriate actions were extremely crass and caused widespread offence to many. It is not me - as you imply - that has the issue but your complete lack of editorial standards that is the issue here. Your comments are offensive - it is not me taking offence. Think about it - there is a difference.
Secondly, your feeble attempt to say that you were wholly unaware that the term 'Bertie' was a derogatory one was an insult to my intelligence. You yourselves have run a relatively recent article on the term 'Bertie' - and to try to suggest that the term Bertie was plucked at random as opposed to another thousand names is laughable and serves up a significant injustice. This whole scenario suggests to me that you are not taking this matter seriously and that you are 'fobbing' off complainants. Sorry but this won't go away until you deal with it and root out the cause and make sure that this does not happen again.
Thirdly, your assertion that you had purchased the image from a third party - complete with comments - was a lie. (I have no way of knowing whether you knew that to be a lie when you conveyed it but I seriously hope you investigate this because it has serious implications for your broader organisation and your editorial (and moral) standards You purchased the image but it has now been proven beyond doubt that the derogatory comments were added by a BBC employee. Who was that employee? Have they accepted that they acted inappropriately? Who manages the said employee and are they going to manage the employee to ensure that there are no further transgressions of this nature.
Fourthly, there seems to be an attitude at the BBC in respect of social media that anything and anyone is 'fair game'. As a public broadcaster- you don't need me to remind you that you are there to report news and not to make derogatory and spiteful comments towards people with learning difficulties- someone who is minding his own business, supporting his team and wholly undeserving of the vitriol which unquestionably came from a Manchester United supporter in your employee.
Your moral compass is clearly distorted, you would appear to have lost all sense of decency and when challenged - both me and other complainants have been treated to a catalogue of excuses, half truths and outright lies. I'd like to say I expected better but the recent editorial standards on the BBC website - are little better than the 'red tops' and you seem fixated by 'click bate' so sadly I expect more of the same from a national broadcaster who used to instil a sense of pride but more latterly has become a national embarrassment. I am appalled that you can't even admit to getting things so very wrong and deal with the matter openly and honestly. You have made a bad situation worse with your excuses and lies.
Hang your heads in shame.
Yours
