'Very sensible' | BBC shakes up social media rules for top presenters after Gary Lineker row

The BBC has announced changes to its social media policies for its most prominent presenters, following the recent controversy involving Gary Lineker.

The national broadcaster says its top stars such as Gary Lineker could opine on political issues on social media but must stop short of campaigning, in new guidelines prompted by a row over the sports presenter's comments about immigration policy earlier this year.

Lineker, host of "Match of the Day" and the BBC's highest paid star, was taken off air in March after he said the language used by the government about immigration was not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 1930s.

He was reinstated after a public backlash and near mutiny at the broadcaster, which has struggled to balance impartiality with its employees' ability to speak to millions of people on social media platforms.