London : The BBC has spent tens of thousands of pounds on teaching staff how to use Facebook.

The corporation is holding classes for large numbers of its 23,000 workforce, despite the fact that using the social networking site is second nature to millions. Hundreds of BBC workers have already signed up for the sessions, in which they learn how to set up accounts on Facebook, as well as Twitter and Bebo.

Since November, the BBC has run 69 sessions of the "Making The Web Work For You" tutorial for a total of 476 delegates.

As it says the two-day course costs "less than £50 [Dh278]" per person — this may mean it has spent almost £23,800.

Baffled

Signing up for Facebook is free, however, and critics are baffled that the BBC has decided to spend money on the classes.

Staff are also angry at what they see as an unnecessary use of licence-fee money during a time of economic hardship.

And politicians say it is further evidence that the broadcaster has too much money.

Conservative MP Philip Davies, who sits on Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport select committee said: "It's just an absolute waste of money, it is ridiculous.

"These are the actions of an organisation that has so much money it does not know what to do with it."