Post by Teddy Bear on Sept 13, 2009 16:34:40 GMT
Just why this correspondent isn't paying himself for damage done by his famiy and self to a rented house they occupied is typical of a corporation that shows no responsibility for its actions. Just let the licence fee payers cover it.
Licence-payers foot the bill for BBC's Mark Mardell, his pet rats...and an extra £4,500 from an irate Brussels landlady
By Peter Allen and James Tapper
Last updated at 11:06 PM on 12th September 2009
Licence-fee payers have been left to foot a £4,500 bill for damage to a Brussels house rented by BBC foreign correspondent Mark Mardell.
The Corporation has agreed to pay for scuffed floors, broken fixtures and the eradication of a ‘peculiar smell’ – thought to have been caused by his family pets, which include a pair of rats.
Mr Mardell left the £3,000-a-month rental property last month to take up a new posting in America, but his landlady has been forced to spend thousands on repairs following his three-and-a-half-year tenancy.
The Mail on Sunday was invited inside the property, where workmen are currently mending skirting boards and parquet flooring, and repainting sections of wall.
Work began after former Europe Editor Mr Mardell moved out last month to take up his new role as the Corporation’s US Editor in Washington.
Landlady Gaelle Trentesaux said: ‘I’m aware that Mr Mardell is a famous journalist, and am sorry this has happened. I have sent the BBC the bill for damages.’ She is also missing out on rental income while the work is carried out.
A source said: ‘Fixtures and fittings were left broken, and floors and ceilings were damaged along with the architect-designed staircase.
'There were food and wine stains everywhere. There was also a peculiar smell from animals which were kept by the family, and this has been particularly difficult to get rid of.’
In his blog, Mr Mardell has admitted that one of his three teenage children has ‘a couple of rats’, while family pets have also included rabbits and cats.
The Corporation paid the rent on the £750,000 four-bedroom house in one of the city’s most exclusive suburbs during Mr Mardell’s stay in Belgium.
The detached property backs on to lush parkland in Oudergem, south-east Brussels.
The house’s designer kitchen and furniture are likely to have been well used during 52-year-old Mr Mardell’s tenancy, as he lists his ‘likes’ as ‘cooking, eating, reading and sleeping’.
He has also written about a fondness for ‘cheap Australian wine’ and beer.
Mr Mardell, a Kent University graduate who began his journalistic career on local radio, is now living in a large rented property in Maryland, near Washington D.C.
The former Newsnight journalist was promoted to US Editor when his predecessor, Justin Webb, returned to Britain to join Radio’s 4 Today programme.
A BBC spokesman confirmed that the £4,500 bill would be covered by licence-fee payers.
He said: ‘In Belgium there are special rules covering rented accommodation, which means that a property has to be left in exactly the same state as when it was first let. There is no allowance for wear and tear.
‘Independent experts write a report detailing any repairs and maintenance needed.
‘Mark, his wife and their three children had been living in this house for several years, so naturally some repairs and maintenance were required.’
The BBC spends significant sums every year providing accommodation for its journalists around the world.
By Peter Allen and James Tapper
Last updated at 11:06 PM on 12th September 2009
Licence-fee payers have been left to foot a £4,500 bill for damage to a Brussels house rented by BBC foreign correspondent Mark Mardell.
The Corporation has agreed to pay for scuffed floors, broken fixtures and the eradication of a ‘peculiar smell’ – thought to have been caused by his family pets, which include a pair of rats.
Mr Mardell left the £3,000-a-month rental property last month to take up a new posting in America, but his landlady has been forced to spend thousands on repairs following his three-and-a-half-year tenancy.
The Mail on Sunday was invited inside the property, where workmen are currently mending skirting boards and parquet flooring, and repainting sections of wall.
Work began after former Europe Editor Mr Mardell moved out last month to take up his new role as the Corporation’s US Editor in Washington.
Landlady Gaelle Trentesaux said: ‘I’m aware that Mr Mardell is a famous journalist, and am sorry this has happened. I have sent the BBC the bill for damages.’ She is also missing out on rental income while the work is carried out.
A source said: ‘Fixtures and fittings were left broken, and floors and ceilings were damaged along with the architect-designed staircase.
'There were food and wine stains everywhere. There was also a peculiar smell from animals which were kept by the family, and this has been particularly difficult to get rid of.’
In his blog, Mr Mardell has admitted that one of his three teenage children has ‘a couple of rats’, while family pets have also included rabbits and cats.
The Corporation paid the rent on the £750,000 four-bedroom house in one of the city’s most exclusive suburbs during Mr Mardell’s stay in Belgium.
The detached property backs on to lush parkland in Oudergem, south-east Brussels.
The house’s designer kitchen and furniture are likely to have been well used during 52-year-old Mr Mardell’s tenancy, as he lists his ‘likes’ as ‘cooking, eating, reading and sleeping’.
He has also written about a fondness for ‘cheap Australian wine’ and beer.
Mr Mardell, a Kent University graduate who began his journalistic career on local radio, is now living in a large rented property in Maryland, near Washington D.C.
The former Newsnight journalist was promoted to US Editor when his predecessor, Justin Webb, returned to Britain to join Radio’s 4 Today programme.
A BBC spokesman confirmed that the £4,500 bill would be covered by licence-fee payers.
He said: ‘In Belgium there are special rules covering rented accommodation, which means that a property has to be left in exactly the same state as when it was first let. There is no allowance for wear and tear.
‘Independent experts write a report detailing any repairs and maintenance needed.
‘Mark, his wife and their three children had been living in this house for several years, so naturally some repairs and maintenance were required.’
The BBC spends significant sums every year providing accommodation for its journalists around the world.