BBC spends £26000 on taxis between London and Salford - Telegraph.co.uk

"These figures demonstrate that the BBC is still struggling to establish Salford as an alternative to London. A very large number of people that they have on their programmes reside in London. It is very expensive."

Since they moved to Manchester, some of the BBC's programmes have struggled to attract guests.

When BBC Breakfast moved to its new base in Salford, it was forced to conduct 12 interviews via video link in one week because guests were based in London.

Mrs Bray suggested that the taxis may have been used to "lure" national figures to Salford. "There will always be this cost of having to pay them to come up," she said.

Many staff working in Salford have opted not to move there permanently.

A total of 174 staff have taken advantage of a halfway-house deal, officially called the "remote location allowance", under which they keep their main home in London and have some of their rent and expenses paid.

Each member of staff is given an allowance of up to £3,390 a month before tax, equivalent to £40,680 a year. To date, this has cost the corporation £3.3 million.

Susanna Reid and Bill Turnbull, the BBC breakfast presenters are among those who have taken advantage of the allowance.

Reid commutes 200 miles to Salford three days a week, travelling up the night before she is due to work and returning to her partner and three children in London the following day.

Peter Salmon, the director general of BBC North, is still yet to move permanently to Manchester.

Earlier this year he criticised "postcode fascists" who insist staff should buy properties in the North to show their commitment.

A spokesman for the BBC said that taxi journeys are permitted when there are "time constraints" or "exceptional" circumstances.

He said: "The BBC has offices across the UK and all over the world, so some element of travel is inevitable.

"The BBC's new base in Salford is home to some of the Corporation's major networks and services but we remain mindful of how we spend public money.

"Therefore we always encourage the cheapest method of travel and rail is the preferred method."

There has also been a "culture clash" between journalists from the capital and their northern colleagues.

Last year BBC Breakfast staff who relocated to Salford complained that their concentration was being ruined by "thumping" music and their "boisterous" local colleagues.

Journalists who made the 200 mile move north say they have found themselves at loggerheads with local BBC broadcasters who resented the arrival of the "big guns" from the South.

The National Union of Journalists said that more than a dozen people have complained about news levels.

They claim the noise has become so loud that it is ruining their concentration, risking their health and that background noise has even seeped on air during live broadcasts.