Gordon Brown attacked the "inappropriate and unacceptable" behaviour of two BBC presenters, as the broadcaster came under intense political pressure in the row over obscene phone calls, write Jean Eaglesham and Ben Fenton .

The prime minister's spokesman said earlier yesterday the furore over lewd phone calls made on air by Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand and left on the answer machine of actor Andrew Sachs was an issue for the BBC and Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator.