The BBC has been accused of failing to support one of its foreign correspondents after his report about a shoe being thrown at the Greek prime minister was temporarily removed from the BBC News website.

Malcolm Brabant, an award-winning BBC correspondent, filmed the shoe-throwing incident involving the Greek prime minister, George Papandreou, earlier this month.

The incident happened when Papandreou was visiting the city of Thessaloniki, where approximately 20,000 protesters were demonstrating against his government's swingeing austerity cuts.

The corporation took the footage down from the website after what it described as "supporters of the [Greek] government" complained about the video and made allegations about its authenticity.

The film was taken down despite, it is understood, protests by Brabant. Since the Guardian made inquiries, the BBC has put the video back online.

Colleagues of Brabant claimed that the fact the BBC took the footage down was seized upon by Greek government supporters and some of the country's media, who then publicly questioned Brabant's reputation. An anonymous opinion piece in the Greek daily newspaper To Vima – The Tribune – alleged: "There are more than a few people who consider that Mr Brabant, since he sank lower than the worst reporter on a cheap tabloid in his country, should not only apologise, but ask himself if he can continue to portray the serious correspondent in Athens."

The BBC World News editor, Jon Williams, went on Greek television to defend Brabant, who has won the Sony reporter of the year award for coverage of the siege of Sarajevo and an Amnesty International prize for coverage of the Russian bombardment of Grozny in Chechnya.

However, former BBC foreign correspondent Martin Bell questioned the BBC's handling of the incident.

"I worry a little about the spine that should have been there and was not shown," he said. "I think it's extraordinary that this can happen in a so-called democracy. It's not easy being a foreign correspondent. They should be allowed to operate without being intimidated."

Some of the BBC's foreign correspondents are understood to be concerned about the precedent of removing the report from the corporation's news website and are supporting Brabant.

A friend of Brabant's said: "The BBC's spinelessness has done immense damage to his reputation in Greece, so much so that he may not be able to operate there any more. He is furious."

One BBC News insider added: "'It looks as though the footage should have never been taken off the website. It sounds like people within the Greek government thought they'd try and divert attention."

A BBC spokesman said: "The shoe incident was covered as part of the BBC News Online article throughout the weekend. There were questions about the video showing the incident so the page featuring the clip was taken down, but it is now back up on the website given it is clear to us that the allegations were unfounded."

Brabant declined to comment.

• This article was amended on 24 September 2010. The original photo caption referred to Stelios Prapezis. This has been corrected.