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BBC Scotland bosses were furious after a London executive trashed pilots for a “Scottish Six” news show.

Top brass at Pacific Quay believed three evening news shows anchored by Jackie Bird showcased the high calibre of journalistic talent north of the Border.

But the Beeb’s director of news James Harding dismissed the pilots, saying “none really worked”.

A BBC Scotland insider said: “James Harding was given a viewing of the three pilots after they were produced in the spring.

“But when he gave his verdict it was a slap in the face. He then went on to repeatedly talk about what a disaster it would be if a Scottish Six was commissioned and turned out to be a load of rubbish.

“Executives up here perceived him as patronising and metrocentric, spouting about how us Scots can’t turn around the same standard of programme as the ones they produce in London.

“That’s insulting because Scottish journalists have always been very highly represented in the top jobs at the BBC in London.”

Harding was speaking at a “Question Time” event at the Edinburgh Festival, chaired by Kirsty Wark, when he made the withering comments about BBC Scotland’s pilot efforts.

When asked by Wark if there was a possibility the Scottish Six would be “batted into the long grass”, he said: “We did a run of pilots to take a look at it and none of them really worked, so now we want to take another look.”

Last night, a BBC spokesman said: “As James Harding made clear, no decisions have been taken yet.”