Originally Posted by Jordo!

Agreed.

Actually, it may very well be in everyone's contract at the BBC that physically assaulting/extensively verbally abusing any member of the staff, especially subordinates, = sacked, which is not an unreasonable policy.

James May did say "their hands are tied" about the BBC, so it may very well be that this isn't really an over-reaction, while NOT firing him would be a major disregard of standard policy and procedure.