Hundreds of BBC staff today staged walkouts in protest at the departure of Greg Dyke, their Director-General over the Kelly affair.

A small demonstration outside Broadcasting House in central London began shortly after 3pm, a little over an hour after Mr Dyke made his resignation public. The protest lasted about an hour in freezing temperatures.

But by late afternoon up to 400 workers had walked out of BBC TV Centre in West London. "Bring Back Greg," they shouted, brandishing hurriedly-made posters with the same slogan.

One placard had a photograph of Mr Dyke superimposed onto a figure of the BBC Children In Need's mascot, Pudsey bear.

Richard Curtis, 35, an engineer at Radio 4, said: "My main concern is with the climbing down. The news gatherers will stop their task of questioning the Government and holding it to account."

Martin Montague, 31, a producer on digital radio station BBC7, added: "Greg should never have gone, he's done so much for the Corporation. I know that people in local radio think he walks on water because of all that he's put into that.

"As for the Hutton Report, the word whitewash comes to mind."

Harry Matharu, 42, who works in the BBC's technology department, said outside Broadcasting House: "I'm totally shocked and devastated, just like the majority of staff in the BBC. Greg has done more for the BBC than anyone else. He's approachable, caring and listens to staff at all levels.

"I think it's a major tragedy for the BBC that he's gone, and I don't think Greg and Gavyn should have resigned. The Hutton Report misses out so much information and focuses on a narrow area and we are scrutinised to the highest level."

The National Union of Journalists supported the demonstrations as "spontaneous outbursts of anger" over Government "interference" in the BBC.

Jeremy Dear, the union's general secretary said that the corporation's management should have stood up to the Government.

He said: "We don't feel that Greg Dyke should have resigned or that Lord Ryder should have given such an open ended apology.

"One mistake was made, admittedly on a very important story, but that is not a resigning issue for the Director-General.

"The NUJ is very worried that the BBC is giving in to pressure from the Government rather than standing up for independent journalism."

BBC Somerset Sound, a local radio station, went off air for a minute this afternoon in protest at the resignation of Mr Dyke and the "abject" apology from the BBC.

The Taunton-based station, shut down for 60 seconds during the Adam Thomas Afternoon Show, and explained its reasons to listeners before and after the interlude.

Mr Thomas said that he felt "flat and deflated" at Mr Dyke's decision to resign. Simon Clifford, the assistant editor, said that the action was a protest by everyone at the radio station and added that he was "shell-shocked" by the afternoon's events.

Mr Clifford said that Mr Dyke opened a building at the station last June and that staff there were "devastated" to lose him as Director-General.

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