BBC Director General Greg Dyke is not to face police charges following complaints about anti-Welsh comments made by television presenter Anne Robinson.

The Weakest Link host said on the BBC show Room 101, where guests discuss their pet hates, that she had "never taken to the Welsh" and found them "irritating and annoying".

Despite hundreds of complaints, the show was repeated twice even though police had warned that it breached the Race Relations Act.

There has been significant interest in this matter, with strong views being expressed from different quarters

North Wales Police

Two senior officers interviewed Mr Dyke at his London headquarters in July after an investigation was set up by North Wales Police Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom.

Mr Dyke was reported to have accepted responsibility for the BBC's broadcast output and to have understood that people were offended by Ms Robinson's comments.

But police decided there was insufficient evident to take the matter to court.

A statement from North Wales Police said: "There has been significant interest in this matter, with strong views being expressed from different quarters.

Greg Dyke will not be prosecuted

"This has required careful handling, lengthening the time taken to investigate the matter.

"The police investigation has now ended, following some delay in obtaining a final statement from a member of staff at the BBC.

"After careful examination of the evidence, and detailed consideration of the law, the chief constable has decided that there is insufficient evidence to justify sending the file to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration by the Attorney General."

Mr Dyke has been informed of the decision.

Death threat

During the controversial episode of Room 101, Anne Robinson had asked of Welsh people: "What are they for?"

She said her feelings stemmed from childhood, when large groups of people from north Wales shopped at her mother's market stall in Liverpool.

She received a death threat after the show was originally broadcast in response to her comments.

The controversial episode was first screened in March 2001 and attracted a flood of complaints to North Wales Police.

However, officers took no action until the programme was repeated in 2002 - although not in Wales - and a clip was shown during the Bafta TV awards in May.

A spokeswoman for the BBC confirmed that the letter from the police had been received but said there was no further comment on the matter.