A BBC reporter has questioned the decision to offer an £18 million deal to chat show host Jonathan Ross.

Theo Leggett, the corporation's European business reporter, expressed his discontent in a letter written to the BBC's in-house magazine.

"It is little short of obscene that a single performer, however talented, can earn [a reported] £6million a year," he wrote. "Management have been trying to close 330 posts in news alone.

"The BBC is willing to compromise its news operation to secure the services of one supposed ratings-grabber."

A BBC spokesman insisted: "The success of Jonathan Ross's new TV series and ongoing radio show demonstrates that, for many millions, he is a good investment."