BBC got sums wrong over £1m pay-off: Bungling executives calculated extra £474,500 for Mark Byford Administrative error added to former BBC director generals' £1million-plus pay-off Lucy Adams, HR boss, described the mistake as 'a complete and utter f*** up' Tory MP called for an inquiry citing doubts 'the BBC was even capable of calculating the proper sums' By Paul Cahalan Lucy Adams, BBC head of human resources was told the redundancy deal for Mark Byford included an extra £474,500 by mistake The BBC added an extra £500,000 to a former deputy director-general's massive £1 million-plus pay-off - thanks to a "miscalculation." Lucy Adams, the BBC's embattled human resources boss, was said to have described an administrative error that added a further £474,500 of licence fee payers" money to Mark Byford's redundancy package as a "complete and utter f*** up." Last night Tory MP Rob Wilson called for an inquiry and said the latest development in the scandal surrounding BBC executive pay-offs "raises doubts about whether the BBC was even capable of calculating the proper sums." Ms Adams's former husband Steve Vear revealed that Mr Byford's bungled payment caused chaos within the Corporation, although the error was spotted in time to avoid paying the extra money. Mr Vear told The Mail on Sunday that his former wife said the BBC's reward manager Robert Johnston was fired after he drew up a draft agreement giving Mr Byford a further year's salary by mistake. The BBC refuses to comment on the reasons behind Mr Johnston's departure. Even without the extra payment, Mr Byford's redundancy deal, agreed in October 2010, was £1,022,000 - made up of £474,500 contractual redundancy payment, £474,500 pay in lieu of notice and £73,000 for accrued holiday. It is said to be one of the biggest payouts in public sector history. Mr Byford also benefited from a £3.4 million pension pot. But a National Audit Office report revealed Mr Byford's £1 million deal was at least £316,333 more than he was contractually owed. While top BBC executives appeared before a Commons Public Accounts Committee to answer claims of wasting public money, none have left their jobs following the scandal. "I distinctly remember Lucy using the expression "he [Johnston] no longer had my confidence" when she talked about why she had fired him," Mr Vear said. Lucy was aware of it and the then director-general Mark Thompson was too. She had to tell him. It was bad enough for someone to lose their job over. One BBC insider said the mistake came as the HR department was under enormous pressure to reduce staff numbers. He said: "There was chaos in HR. I don't think they could cope. Former Deputy Director General of the BBC Mark Byford's payment caused chaos within the Corporation although the error was spotted before any extra money was paid Mr Vear added: "I remember we were on holiday on [Costa del Sol's] Estepona beach and Lucy was taking calls all the time. I got really annoyed and said, "That's it, pack your bags and I'll take you back to the airport." She ended up apologising and we stayed.She was more angry with the guy she got rid of than with herself, although she admitted she'd never checked the figures Robert provided her with. Weeks after the error was spotted, Mr Johnston, whose own salary was £196,550, left the BBC. On October 7, 2010, Ms Adams - dubbed Lipgloss Lucy by some colleagues for her expensive fashion tastes - sent staff a note saying: "Robert ... has decided it is time to move to a less high profile and demanding role. He will leave at the end of this week. Mr Thompson raised the issue of the near over-payment to Mr Byford in evidence to the Public Accounts Committee. Last night MP Mr Wilson said: "The BBC must urgently disclose the details surrounding the error. The fact HR miscalculated Mark Byford's pension entitlement by nearly half a million pounds raises serious questions about that department's competence. We are asked to believe the pay-offs to Byford and others were only what they were contractually entitled to, but this raises doubts about whether the BBC was even capable of calculating the proper sums. A BBC spokesman said: "It is not true to say that Mark Byford received an inflated severance payment as a result of any miscalculation or prior offer." He would not comment on Mr Johnston, who also did not comment. Ms Adams announced earlier this year that she is leaving the BBC next April. Media watchdog Ofcom has been criticised for failing to publish a report into the Lord McAlpine scandal almost a year after it launched an investigation. Last November, the controversial quango agreed to examine whether the BBC and ITV had breached rules by failing to offer the former Tory treasurer a right of reply in response to false suggestions that he was a paedophile. Despite four staff working on the case for more than ten months, no report has appeared. Last night Lord McAlpine's solicitor Andrew Reid, whose original complaint triggered Ofcom's investigation, expressed his client's frustration at the publicly funded body's inability to inform people of its findings. He added: "Perhaps Ofcom is discovering that the truth is a little unpalatable and it is working out the best way to sell it to the public." Tory MP Rob Wilson, who also complained to Ofcom over the scandal, echoed Mr Reid's comments and lambasted the organisation, which spends £117 million of public money each year. Mr Wilson added: "It is pretty disgraceful that Ofcom's investigation into one of the most serious abuses of journalism in living memory has been allowed to ramble on." Ofcom said its "complex" inquiry was ongoing.