Gay people accounted for 7 per cent of staff at the BBC and ITV compared with just 2 per cent of the population

Ethnic minorities and gay people are overrepresented in the television industry, according to an audit of diversity among Britain’s broadcasters.

The research found that white men continued to dominate senior roles at the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, while disabled people were underrepresented.

However, the figures suggested that in some areas TV companies were more diverse than the audiences they served. About 13 per cent of TV industry workers are from an ethnic minority, the Ofcom analysis found, with higher proportions at Sky (15 per cent) and Channel 4 (18 per cent), compared with 12 per cent of the working-age population.

Four per cent of staff said they were lesbian, gay or bisexual, rising to 7 per cent at Channel 4 and the BBC, compared