Hard Times: BBC lands itself in impartiality row after claiming Britain is ... trends now

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With his grisly descriptions of gruelling workhouses, the cruel orphanages and the soul-crushing debtors' prisons, Charles Dickens authentically portrayed the social evils of 19th Century England.

But the BBC has sparked a fresh impartiality row by claiming his depictions of Victorian poverty have 'striking parallels' with Britain today.

Its flagship Radio 4 station made the claim in publicity for new adaptations of Dickens's novels Hard Times, Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend.

It wrote: 'In the autumn there will be a new triple bill, with titles in which the well-loved writer's critique of Victorian society has particularly striking parallels with life in Britain today.'

Experts last night criticised the claim as 'ludicrous', pointing out that Dickens was writing at a time when Britain did not yet have a welfare state, the NHS or free education.

Best-selling author Jeffrey Archer said: 'If the BBC is attempting to make a comparison between Victorian Britain and today it will be about as realistic as suggesting that Richard III and Charles III have anything in common.'