FOOTBALL legend Terry Venables has blasted the BBC over its failure to offer him compensation for the fakery used by Martin Bashir in Panorama shows about him.
Ex-England boss Venables hit out after it emerged the Beeb had agreed to pay damages to Prince William and Harry’s ex nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke over smears used in the run-up to the notorious Princess Diana Panorama programme.
The corporation has also agreed to pay £1.5 million to charities chosen by the Royals over the deceit used to secure the Diana chat – as well as a separate payout to graphic artist Matt Weissler.
Venables said: “I am delighted that the BBC are reaching settlements with various injured parties – that’s the very least they can do.
“It begs the question of who else has suffered from the duplicitous journalistic tactics that appear to have been commonplace then.”
We can reveal that the BBC have been in contact with representatives of Venables, 78, since the bombshell Dyson report in May into the tactics used to convince the late Princess to talk to Bashir.
The report also confirmed that the BBC admitted a vital document was fabricated in the 1993 Panorama show about Venables.
A BBC executive vowed to “investigate” the wrongdoing over the programmes, which were presented by shamed Bashir, 58, in 1993 and 1994.
But sources close to Venables – who retired alongside wife Yvette in 2019 after running a hotel in Spain – said they were “shocked” that they had since heard nothing.
And the former England, Crystal Palace, Spurs and Barcelona coach – dubbed El Tel due to his time in Spain – is “furious” that nothing has been done in relation to the documentaries about him.
A spokesman for Mr Venables said: “It is inexplicable that nothing has been done since the Dyson report.
“But it may reflect the BBC’s concern to paint Martin Bashir as a lone wolf and escape a more in-depth scrutiny of producers and other BBC staff involved in a culture of fabrication at that time at the BBC.”
Venables – who led England in Euro 96 – has previously condemned the “same dubious tactics” he said were used on him and to secure Bashir’s interview with Diana in 1995.
The Dyson report featured an internal BBC probe – launched in 1996 after bosses discovered Bashir’s use of forged bank statements in the Diana programme – which also examined ‘mocked up’ documents in the Venables shows.
Ex BBC Director General Tony Hall concluded the way the Venables graphic was used had been “wrong” and said the documentary’s producer had been “severely reprimanded”.
Although the memo was featured in the report by Lord Dyson, his remit was restricted to probing the Diana programme.
It found that Bashir used “deceitful behaviour” to persuade Diana to talk to him and to get her brother, Earl Spencer, to help.
The BBC journalist – who played on the late princess’ fears – told her Prince Charles was “in love” with Tiggy, their childrens’ nanny, and they went on a secret holiday together.
Tiggy, 56 – now Tiggy Pettifer – is now set to receive six-figure damages due to the impact the lies had on her.
Matt Wiessler – a graphic artist on the Diana and Venables programmes who blew the whistle on Bashir and was forced out of the BBC – is also in line for a payout of £750,000 to £1million.
Bashir has also been slammed for losing bloodied clothing given to him by the mother of ‘Babes in the Wood’ murder victim, Karen Hadaway.
Karen’s mother, Michelle, handed garments to Bashir who promised to have them DNA-tested as he made a programme about the killings but he then lost them.
A source said Venables and his advisers fear the BBC is “brushing under the carpet” controversy surrounding programmes about him.
The source added: “They are hoping it will go away and perhaps playing on the fact Terry is now elderly.
“But it looks like a wider cover-up which should be investigated by someone like Lord Dyson, as the Diana programme was.”
The claim in the Panorama programme about Venables centred on his time as he helped to rescue Tottenham.
