Peers in attack on BBC over Dignitas death as they accuse bosses of campaigning to change law on assisted suicide



Almost 900 people contact the BBC to complain over programme

Former bishop of Rochester says the documentary was 'propaganda on one side'

Four senior peers have accused the BBC of running an ‘orchestrated campaign’ to change the law on assisted death.

They have written to director-general Mark Thompson and BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten to complain about the programme Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die.

The peers described Monday night’s documentary, which showed the final moments of desperately ill millionaire Peter Smedley at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, as ‘repugnant’ and ‘disgraceful’.





Final moments: Peter Smedley is held by a doctor at the Swiss assisted suicide clinic after he has taken a fatal drug. Looking on is the retired hotelier's wife of 40 years, Christine. Programme makers have been accused of 'romanticising' and 'normalising' assisted death

Mr Smedley, pictured with his wife Christine, furthest from the camera. The controversial programme sparked heated debate on Twitter Millionaire hotel owner Mr Smedley gave Sir Terry and his crew permission to film the moment that he drank poison to end his life shortly before Christmas last year A last goodbye: Christine Smedley kisses her husband as he tells her to 'be strong, my darling'

CANCER PATIENT'S FATHER DEMANDS RIGHT TO END LIFE

A father who says his son looked like a 'skeleton with veins' before he died from bowel, liver and lung cancer has demanded that people are given the right to end their life in Britain. Simon Bray, 54, died in the arms of his wife and father yesterday afternoon after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer more than a year ago. John Bray, 78, welcomed the debate the programme sparked saying opponents of assisted suicide don't understand what most terminally ill people endure.

He said his son - an industrial sculptor - had a wretched existence before he was admitted to the hospice as he turned from being a loving, active, well-travelled family man to 'a skeleton with veins'

His father said there needs to be a proper debate to prevent other families from suffering like his. 'It has been a nightmare for us because he was the most beautiful boy but at the end he was like a skeleton with veins,' he said.

However, rather than a Dignitas-style clinic, Mr Bray said people with terminal illnesses should be given the choice to end their life in a way they choose.

Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, Lord Alton of Liverpool and Lord Carlile of Berriew, QC, said the BBC ran an ‘orchestrated campaign’ in favour of assisted suicide.

Almost 900 viewers made formal complaints to the Corporation about the programme, which was shown on BBC2 at 9pm, while just 82 contacted the broadcaster to praise it.

It was hosted by novelist and Alzheimer’s sufferer Sir Terry Pratchett, who has campaigned for assisted death to be made legal in Britain.

Hotel owner Mr Smedley, 71, gave Sir Terry and his crew permission to film the moment he drank poison at Dignitas and died shortly before Christmas last year.

His wife of 40 years, Christine, 60, was at his side.

One charity, Care Not Killing, yesterday warned there was a risk of copycat suicides.

The former Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, said: ‘I think an opportunity has been bypassed of having a balanced programme – the thousands of people who use the hospice movement and who have a good and peaceful death, there was very little about them.

‘This was really propaganda on one side.’

And Conservative MP Nadine Dorries warned the BBC was in danger of ‘normalising a very serious issue’.

Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s commissioning editor for documentaries, said: ‘The BBC doesn’t have a stance on assisted suicide, but we do think that this is an important matter of debate. Across all BBC output, we have looked at assisted death, hospice care and palliative care in a variety of different ways including documentaries and news debates.’



Final moments: Mr Smedley (left) shakes hands with Sir Terry Pratchett at the Swiss clinic Holding his hand, Mr Smedley's wife watches as he passes away at the Dignitas clinic

A BBC spokesman added: ‘Following the programme, we had 82 appreciations and 162 complaints, bringing the total number of complaints up to 898.’

Media regulator Ofcom said it had received ‘a handful’ of complaints.

Assisted death is not allowed in Britain but the Director of Public Prosecutions recently revised rules stating it is illegal to help anyone kill themselves.