The BBC's World Service has suspended all its broadcasts on the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) because of what its calls "continued interruption and interference" to the corporation's Tamil programming.

World Service director Peter Horrocks said: "We regret the disruption in service to our loyal audiences in Sri Lanka, but such targeted interference in our programmes is a serious breach of trust with those audiences, which the BBC cannot allow."

Evidently, there was inference to its FM relay programmes on 16-18 March and further disruption yesterday, 25 March.

Horrocks said: "We spoke to SLBC last week… and warned them they were in breach of their broadcasting agreement. Further disruption… has left the BBC with no alternative but to suspend the service with immediate effect.

"If the SLBC have specific complaints about any BBC output they should take them up with us, as we have invited them to do and not interfere directly with broadcasts in ways that are unacceptable to the BBC and misleading to our audiences."

The BBC took similar action in 2009 when its services were also disrupted. It is possible for audiences in Sri Lanka to listen to the BBC on shortwave and via the corporation's online services. (guardian.co.uk)