EAST Lancashire MPs Jack Straw and Nigel Evans have called for Jonathan Ross to be sacked following his answering machine stunt with fellow presenter Russell Brand.

Video: Russell Brand's statement.

Complaints about the prank calls made to actor Andrew Sachs have topped the 30,000 milestone, as crisis talks are held into the scandal.

In his column in the Lancashire Telegraph today, Blackburn MP Jack Straw wrote: "When I first read about Mr Ross and Mr Brand’s behaviour on a Radio 2 programme I thought perhaps that the newspapers had exaggerated what had happened.

"But in many ways it’s worse than I imagined.

"The question which now must arise is whether Mr Ross, and his colleague, 'presenter' Russell Brand, should be paid a penny by the rest of us."

Nigel Evans, MP for the borough and a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, also slammed the BBC for how it handled the fall out from the stars’ telephone calls to actor Andrew Sachs during Brand’s Radio 2 show.

Mr Evans said: “The comedians themselves should not escape censure.

"If this sort of behaviour happened anywhere else in the public sector, the people involved would be sacked.

"Just because we are talking about highly paid celebrities does not mean that they are above the law.

“I am pleased that Ofcom will be investigating this matter and I look forward to their report.”

BBC Trust members are at a special meeting of their editorial standards committee into the lewd calls broadcast on the Radio 2 show.

The talks follow presenter Mr Brand's resignation on Wednesday amid widespread condemnation.

Mr Ross is suspended while an investigation is carried out and reports suggest he could still be on full pay.

The plug was pulled on his Friday night TV show just hours before it was due to be recorded on Wednesday and Keanu Reeves' blockbuster Speed will air in its place.