Wokingham MP John Redwood calls for end to BBC South region

Mr Redwood said he wanted the BBC to reflect "Englishness"

A Berkshire MP has called for an overhaul of how BBC News covers the regions of England.

Wokingham Tory MP John Redwood said he was critical of how the BBC "lumped" in Berkshire with Dorset, Oxford and Hampshire in a "South" region.

He also wanted to see a BBC England service, like that of BBC Scotland.

Online, the BBC provides an index for England stories, and regional radio provides an England-wide evening show presented by Mark Forrest.

Mr Redwood's comments came as BBC director general Tony Hall set out a vision to work more closely with local newspapers.

The MP has submitted his proposals to the BBC Charter Review Consultation.

Online, the BBC provides an index for England stories

Mr Redwood said: "I am told Wokingham is part of the South but the South doesn't include Surrey, Buckinghamshire and London where we have a lot of links.

"It does include Dorset and the Isle Of Wight where we don't have many links.

"It creates a totally artificial situation which doesn't adequately represent my views and the views of my constituents."

He said he also wanted to see England as a nation represented by the BBC.

He said: "I'm saying to the BBC, 'give to England what you give to Scotland'. They don't seek to divide Scotland up into highlands and lowlands... they allow Scotland to be a unity; why don't they allow England to be a unity?"

He said alongside England-only content, he wanted to see the BBC represent individual counties in all levels of output.

Mr Redwood said: "I could understand a local TV parallel to BBC Radio Berkshire.

"My electors have a sense of belonging to Berkshire as well as England, but they don't have any sense that they belong to somewhere called the South of England."

A BBC spokeswoman said: "England is divided up into different BBC TV regions in order to best reflect the regional distinctiveness of populations and audiences within those areas providing value for money for the licence fee payer."