Job applicants accused the BBC of racial discrimination after being turned down for roles because they are white.

The broadcaster advertised for two junior script writers on 12-month trainee schemes, one of which offered the opportunity to work on hospital drama Holby City in London.

But applicants were outraged when HR bosses replied to applications saying that they were only open to people from 'ethnic minority backgrounds'.

The BBC (pictured, their HQ at Salford Quays) has been criticised for telling white people that they cannot apply for scriptwriter jobs because they are only open to people from ethnic minorities

The advert was for two full-time drama assistant script editors for the trainee scheme, with an annual 'allowance' of up to £25,205, and one provided an opportunity to work on Holby City for six months

The corporation said the move was to address an 'under-representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in script editing roles'.

But one unsuccessful applicant accused them of flouting their own anti-discrimination rules by not granting him an interview based on his white ethnicity.

The 26-year-old, a media graduate, said: 'It's racial discrimination to disregard someone based on them being any race.

'It's just wrong and as far as I know it is illegal. Coming from the BBC, it's amazing.

NEW STAFF TO BE ASKED HOW MIDDLE CLASS THEY ARE The BBC is to ask new staff to disclose how middle class they are as it aims to become more diverse, it was reported. Workers for the corporation could have to declare their family income and details of their upbringing. It follows concerns about lack of diversity within the organisation. This included a 2014 report by a government social mobility commission, which found more than a quarter of staff were privately-educated. Advertisement

'If you applied for a position and got a reply saying it was only open to white applicants you would quite rightly not be happy. This is exactly the same.'

The applicant, who chose to remain anonymous, added: 'Opportunities like this hardly ever come up.

'Of course there was no guarantee I would have got the job, but to be told I wasn't even allowed to apply because of the colour of my skin was appalling. I thought that became illegal years ago.

'Diversity is incredibly important and I am wholly against any form of discrimination - which is why I don't understand why the BBC think they can get away with this.

'The colour of someone's skin shouldn't even be questioned when applying for a role.'

The advert was for two full-time drama assistant script editors for the trainee scheme, with an annual 'allowance' of up to £25,205.

One role was based in London, and the other was based in Cardiff or Glasgow, and the candidate would split their time between development and production.

One role was based in London, working six months on Holby City, and six months in a development position.

The other was based in Cardiff or Glasgow, and the candidate would split their time between development and production.

It was listed on the BBC website's job section and said BBC Drama believed 'content should accurately reflect and be enjoyed by as many people as possible'.

ONE IN SIX NEW ROLES MUST GO TO LESBIAN, GAY, BI OR TRANSGENDER One in six of all on-screen BBC roles must go to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or disabled people by 2020, the corporation's new diversity targets state. In a bid to deter criticism that it has been failing to reflect its audience, the BBC has pledged that LGBT and disabled people will each make up eight per cent of all on-air and on-screen roles. The new targets follow a heated debate in the House of Commons led by David Lammy MP on the issue of the broadcaster's diversity. Fifty per cent of all on-screen and broadcasting roles will go to women, who already make up 48.5 per cent of the BBC's total workforce. Advertisement

The job description added that the two posts were 'exciting training and development opportunities for those from black, Asian and other ethnic minorities'.

But it didn't explicitly ban other people applying and added recruiters were looking for candidates 'passionate about getting into Drama script writing'.

When applicants applied for the role they received a generic email from an internal BBC recruiter explaining the ban on white candidates.

It said: 'The positions are only open to those from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds who are passionate about getting into Drama script editing.'

Figures reported this year show that 13.4 per cent of the BBC's workforce are from Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities.

That is more than the 13.1 per cent figure nationally from the 2011 Census which showed the proportion of the UK population from Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities.

The BBC said the scheme was a training opportunity, and allowed under the Equality Act, and claimed the advert made it clear it was for BAME candidates.