The BBC said it takes "any allegations very seriously" following reports that a "well-known presenter" has been taken off air over clams he paid a teenager for explicit pictures.

The Sun newspaper reported the unnamed BBC star has been accused of paying a teenager more than £35,000 in exchange for sexual images.

Neither the individual or the teenager, who was said to be 17 when the payments began, was identified.

BBC HQ: The broadcaster said it took "any allegations very seriously" after a well-known presenter was taken off the air amid claims they paid a teenager for explicit photos. PIC: CC.

The Sun said the teen's family complained to the BBC on May 19.

The newspaper said the presenter had been taken off air with a BBC report saying the man was not scheduled to appear over the weekend.

In response to The Sun's report, a BBC spokesperson said: "We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them.

"As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination we will take steps to do this.

"That includes actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation.

"If we get no reply to our attempts or receive no further contact that can limit our ability to progress things but it does not mean our enquiries stop.

"If, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided - including via newspapers - this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes."

'Well-known BBC presenter' accused of paying teenager £35,000 for explicit photos