Office panic over lost scripts

Even David Brent would struggle to talk his way out of this.

BBC bosses are said to be panicking after what appears to be secret files detailing the plot of The Office Christmas special went astray - and may be sold by the woman to whom they were posted in error.

The comedy about office life at Slough paper merchants Wernham-Hogg, starring Ricky Gervais as nightmare boss Brent, is a BBC jewel.

The twin 100-page bound scripts on the two-parter are dated 6 August and state "The Office Christmas Special, written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, produced by Ash Atalla."

They were supposed to go to a technician called Andy in Saffron Walden, who was asked for a health and safety risk assessment.

But they were sent to Joanne Hiley in the same town, who said: "If I decide to go down that road, you can expect to see the revelations in the paper which can bid the most."

A BBC source said: "It's fair to say the production office is panicking."

An official BBC spokesman added: "If this woman does indeed have a script, and a paper prints details, it will be letting down readers."