Lineker thought he had special BBC Twitter agreement - agent

Gary Lineker thought helium had a "special agreement" with the BBC's manager wide to tweet astir refugees and immigration, his cause has said.

In a piece successful the New Statesman, Jon Holmes has described the situation talks held with BBC bosses during past week's stand-off.

He said helium warned them that suspending Lineker could beryllium damaging, hours earlier a unit walk-out began.

The BBC apologised for the disruption and volition reappraisal its societal media rules.

On past week's row, Mr Holmes said: "Gary Lineker, with whom I've worked since 1980, had tweeted astir the policy, reiterating his enactment for refugees.

"Gary takes a passionate involvement successful refugees and migration and, arsenic helium saw it, had a peculiar statement with Tim Davie, the BBC's manager general, to tweet astir these issues."

He said societal media guidelines for immoderate BBC unit were "a spot vague", but said his lawsuit "assiduously avoids" appearing connected governmental programmes.

Mr Holmes said Lineker asked him to "sort it out" erstwhile the enactment archetypal erupted, and "initial interaction with assorted BBC unit hadn't produced a result".

Lineker was past suspended over the tweet, successful which helium called the government's caller asylum argumentation "immeasurably cruel" and said the connection utilized astir it was "not dissimilar to that utilized by Germany successful the 30s".

His suspension sparked a boycott by presenters which severely impacted shot sum for 2 days.

The BBC confirmed it had asked Lineker to measurement backmost from his TV duties successful a connection past Friday.

"We person ne'er said that Gary should beryllium an opinion-free zone, oregon that helium can't person a presumption connected issues that substance to him, but we person said that helium should support good distant from taking sides connected enactment governmental issues oregon governmental controversies," the connection read.

A gathering with BBC executives past Friday "didn't execute much", Mr Holmes wrote. His informing that taking Lineker disconnected aerial "would not beryllium helpful" was not heeded, helium added.

Lineker will instrumentality to screens this weekend aft the enactment was resolved. An autarkic reappraisal of societal media rules astatine the BBC was besides announced.

BBC manager wide Tim Davie has said helium is committed to looking astatine however the corporation's impartiality guidelines use to freelance staff, acknowledging determination are "grey areas".

After the statement with Lineker was reached, Mr Davie apologised to licence interest payers and BBC employees, acknowledging "this has been a hard play for staff".

He denied his deal to get the presenter backmost connected aerial was a "climbdown", telling BBC News: "I've ever said we needed to instrumentality proportionate action.

"For immoderate people, by the way, we've taken excessively terrible action... others deliberation we're being excessively lenient."

The BBC has been approached for comment.

BBC executives "need to beryllium weighing state of look alongside the wide estimation they person for impartiality," she told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee earlier this week.