MARIA Miller has described the resignation of the BBC's director general, George Entwistle, as “the right decision”.

Mrs Miller, Basingstoke MP and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, was responding to news of Mr Entwistle’s resignation on the evening of Saturday November 10.

She said:”It's a regrettable situation, but the right decision. It is vital that credibility and public trust in this important national institution is restored.

“It is now crucial that the BBC puts the systems in place to ensure it can make first class news and current affairs programs.”

Mr Entwistle stepped down from the £450,000 a year post in the wake of the in the wake of the Newsnight child abuse broadcast.

He said the report, which led to Tory Lord McAlpine being wrongly implicated, should not have been aired and said that as the man "ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards" he would quit.

He had been in the job just 54 days, during which time he also had to face controversy over the BBC not broadcasting a Newsnight investigation into former BBC presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile.