Minister all a-twitter over BBC booth

The BBC today came under attack from a Government minister for installing a "Twitter cubicle" at the corporation's new multi-million-pound northern HQ.

Communities Minister Grant Shapps said it was "absolutely extraordinary" that the glass booth had been built when deep cuts were hitting other parts of the public sector.

After a tour of the new MediaCity offices in Salford Quays, Mr Shapps said it was as if "the recession hasn't met the BBC yet".

He said: "The wonderful thing about Twitter is that you can do it from anywhere, so you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the multi-million pound BBC centre that at licence fee payers' expense they have built a Twitter cubicle. It is absolutely extraordinary that such a thing exists."

A spokesman for the BBC said it was a two-person meeting room and was "definitely not" a Twitter booth.