Blue Peter in row over cat name

Socks the cat joined Blue Peter in January 2006

The BBC is refusing to comment on reports that Blue Peter's cat was not given the name viewers had chosen for it in an online poll.

The cat had been called Socks after the name chosen in the poll was deemed unsuitable for children, several newspapers have reported.

Earlier this year the BBC was fined £50,000 after it was found to have faked a Blue Peter phone-in contest.

The BBC said it would not comment on the poll, which took place in 2006.

On Wednesday, media union Bectu said it was representing a BBC 6 Music producer who was fired after it was revealed staff on the Liz Kershaw show posed as competition winners on "live" shows which had actually been pre-recorded.

Bectu accused the BBC of singling out junior staff and said the woman would be appealing against the decision.

Mark Thompson met BBC Trust members on Wednesday

BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas said disciplinary action against other members of staff had taken place, "but not to the extent of sackings".

Director general Mark Thompson spent Wednesday updating the corporation's regulator, the BBC Trust, on what it was doing to restore viewers' trust in competitions.

In July, BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said it would be "watching very carefully" to ensure the right sanctions were applied.

"There are some more examples [of malpractice] that are going to come out, minor ones I'm told," our correspondent added.

"What we won't hear are the exact details of what is happening to individuals."

"What the BBC does need to say is what it is doing in general to make sure these things don't happen again," he added.