offices and into a parking area of the company's headquarters in Bush

House, London last month, where they were ordered to strip and then

hosed down, after a powder, suspected of being anthrax, was found in the

company mail, the London Mail on Sunday reported.

"It was

appalling and some of the women in particular were deeply upset," an

unnamed BBC employee told the newspaper. It reported that many staff

members were detained for hours while their offices were checked for

contamination, and although they were eventually told they could go

home, many could not since their clothes had not been returned.

The

Mail quoted Pierre Vicary, an official of the National Union of

Journalists as saying, "It was a madhouse. Given that other media

organizations had been targeted, the BBC should have been better

prepared. It seems no effort was made to provide people with privacy

when they undressed, nor were the sexes separated. We have received

assurances that it will be handled much more sensitively if it happens

again."

The substance in the letter was later identified as talcum.