THE SUN newspaper is facing questions over its ethical standards in the Huw Edwards story as the BBC resumes an inquiry into the conduct of the news presenter.

Billionaire mogul Rupert Murdoch’s paper alleged that a BBC presenter paid a 17-year-old for explicit images.

But police concluded that there was no evidence to support this allegation of serious criminal wrongdoing.

Mr Edwards’s wife Vicky Flind revealed him as the presenter on Wednesday evening, saying he is “suffering from serious mental health issues” and is receiving “in-patient hospital care” over the allegations.

The BBC said it had paused its inquiry following a request from the Met Police amid their investigation, but will now “move forward with that work.”

The Sun spokesperson said the newspaper had “at no point” in its original story alleged criminality and “also took the decision neither to name Mr Edwards nor the young person involved in the allegations.”

But campaign group Hacked Off said the paper was being “utterly disingenuous.”

Chief executive Nathan Sparkes said: “The substance, evidential basis, and public interest justification for this story now all look weaker than ever.

“A man has been hospitalised, his family has been destroyed, a young person has seen their drug addiction issue and family estrangement splashed across the newspapers for the world to pick over. 

“Whatever further emerges in this story … this episode demonstrates the extraordinary power the press has to inflict harm against people, and underlines the urgent need for an independent system of regulation as recommended in the Leveson Report.”

The Peace and Justice Project tweeted that the developments have “proven the urgent need for media reform and accountability.”

Spokespersons for Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak both refused to comment, saying it was a matter for the BBC.