A SENIOR BBC presenter claims that she faces a “600 per cent pay gap” compared to a male colleague in a landmark court case over pay inequality.

Samira Ahmed, who presents the audience-informed BBC coverage watchdog Newswatch, has taken the broadcaster to an employment tribunal over her allegations.

On Sunday, Ms Ahmed said that she is paid £465 for every episode of the show.

Meanwhile, her male colleague Jeremy Vine — who presents the similar Points of View show for listeners to air their grievances at the BBC — was paid up to £3,000 an episode.

In a statement, Ms Ahmed said: “I love my job on Newswatch despite it being difficult and challenging.

“I know that it is an important part of demonstrating the BBC service to all its audiences and the licence fee payers.

“I have a sense of pride working for a public service broadcaster which seeks to represent the diversity of Britain and its licence fee payers.

“I just ask why the BBC thinks I am worth only a sixth of the value of the work of a man for doing a very similar job.”

Ms Ahmed has been backed by scores of colleagues and fellow journalists, including the NUJ, whose general secretary Michelle Stanistreet said that the “scourge of unequal pay has no place in our public service broadcaster.”

The BBC has disputed the claims and maintains that the two programmes cannot be compared.

A BBC spokesman said: “The BBC is committed to equal pay.

“Points Of View is an entertainment programme with a long history and is a household name with the public.

“Newswatch — while an important programme — isn’t.

“Samira was paid the same as her male predecessor when she began presenting Newswatch.

“Gender has not been a factor in levels of pay for Points Of View. 

“News and entertainment are very different markets and pay across the media industry reflects this.”

The tribunal is expected to last throughout the week.