BBC presenter taken off air following support for pay campaigner Carrie Gracie

A BBC presenter was taken off air due to impartiality issues after she expressed solidarity with colleague and equal pay campaigner Carrie Gracie.

Winifred Robinson, presenter on Radio 4 show You And Yours, was a notable absentee from Tuesday's edition of the radio show, two days after posting her views on the BBC.

Ms Gracie, the BBC's former China editor, took a dramatic stand on the issue, accusing her employer of unlawful salary discrimination.

Scores of her colleagues, including Ms Robinson, backed Ms Gracie's stance on social media following the fall-out, with the likes of Naga Munchetty, Sarah Montague and Emma Barnett pledging their support.

Ms Robinson, too, wrote: "Superb journalist, great China Editor.

"What a mess to lose her from that post. @BBCCarrie #equalpay #istandwithcarrie".

It was one of around 150 tweets and retweets addressing Ms Gracie's accusations to feature on Ms Robinson's Twitter account.

Her removal from Tuesday's edition of the consumer focus radio show meant she was not present to join in the discussion which focused on equal pay.

BBC guidelines state: "When dealing with controversial subjects concerning the BBC, our reporting must remain duly impartial, as well as accurate and fair.

"We need to ensure the BBC's impartiality is not brought into question and presenters or reporters are not exposed to potential conflicts of interest.

"It will be inappropriate to refer to either the BBC as 'we' or the content as 'our'.

"There should also be clear editorial separation between those reporting the story and those responsible for presenting the BBC's case."

A BBC spokesman confirmed Ms Robinson would return to the show on Wednesday.