THE BBC have launched a fresh Ibrox boycott after Rangers banned the public service broadcaster's senior sports reporter Chris McLaughlin from the club ground.

The BBC dropped a nearly month-long boycott of Ibrox in August after Rangers agreed to drop a ban on the reporter following talks.

But it has emerged that the BBC have reimposed the boycott after the broadcaster was told two weeks ago that the reporter was again not welcome at Ibrox.

It is understood that there was no BBC reporter at Ibrox on Saturday when Rangers beat Livingston 4-1.

BBC Scotland said: "We are disappointed that Rangers took the decision to ban our reporter Chris McLaughlin from Ibrox. We believe it is unjustifiable and we stand by the integrity and the quality of our journalism.

"We will continue to report on Rangers both on and off the pitch and will feature match action where appropriate but, until this issue is resolved, we will not be sending journalists to Ibrox or attending Rangers’ press conferences.”

Rangers have hit back saying: "This is about balance and fairness. It is Rangers' view that after having asked for, and having been promised, exactly that - nothing more, and certainly not favour from this or any other reporter - it has not been forthcoming.

"The BBC know they are welcome but once again they, in their wisdom, have chosen not to attend Ibrox thereby denying licence payers the opportunity to see and hear from Rangers on a publicly-funded platform which is supposed to be for everyone. Rangers fans are entitled to ask if this is an abuse of the BBC's privileged position."

Fans previously lodged their concerns about a previous BBC boycott which began with the club's 3-0 victory over Peterhead at the beginning of August. last year.

Mr McLaughlin was told he was not welcome after being accused of filing misleading and unbalanced reports by Rangers.

Some fans protested to the BBC and to the communications regulator Ofcom saying the BBC actions were indicative of what they felt was a continued bias against the club.

BBC sources then insisted there would be no staff member going to Ibrox until the ban on Mr McLaughlin is lifted and they would rely on agency staff.

The BBC then insisted they had no choice but to take action after Mr McLaughlin was told to stay away.

Rangers has previously said its concerns with coverage came to a head after a BBC report 'unfairly focused' on the arrest of Rangers fans after the club’s 6-2 win over Hibs.

Some Rangers fans complained about the previous boycott saying that the BBC actions were indicative of what they felt was a continued bias against the club.

In response, complainers were told by a BBC complaints representative that BBC Scotland felt the ban on Mr McLaughlin was unjustified.

Two years ago, Rangers banned BBC journalists Chris McLaughlin and Chick Young from the club's stadium and training ground after the broadcaster revealed a leaked document which indicated a plot to sack then manager Ally McCoist.

In July 2011, the Beeb were banned and later issued an apology to McCoist over their reporting of his views on football violence and sectarianism.

A second ban came three months later over their documentary Rangers – The Inside Story about Craig Whyte’s disastrous club takeover.

In September, 2012, the BBC infuriated the club again with a spoof of the American TV drama Mad Men depicting McCoist falling from a building.