London - The squeaky clean image of Blue Peter was tarnished yesterday when BBC executives sacked presenter Richard Bacon after he admitted snorting cocaine during a night of drug-taking and vodka-drinking.
Producers acted fast to protect the programme's reputation and dismissed him only hours after Sunday papers announced that the "Blue Peter goody-goody was a cocaine snorting sneak".
Coming just a week after Mr Bacon co-hosted an evening celebrating the programme's 40th anniversary, the dismissal marks the most ignominious moment in the show's history.