Pensioners have staged protests outside BBC headquarters over the decision to axe the universal free TV licence for over-75s branding it a “scandal”.

BBC Scotland HQ at Pacific Quay was one of the sites where action took place as Britain's biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), called for events around the country.

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It came as MPs agreed to debate the issue after an e-petition to continue to fund free TV licences for the over-75s reached more than 100,000 signatures.

In Glasgow, around 40 people took part in a protest outside BBC Scotland headquarters, chanting: "BBC, BBC, keep our licence free."

Some of those at the protest spoke of the impact losing their TV would have on elderly people living alone.

Billy Foster, 72, from Glasgow, said: "Lots of elderly people are really proud and they will refuse to be means-tested and will end up without a TV. It is a scandal.

"Some people don't see other people from one week to the other and it is their only contact with the outside world."

Pat Milligan, 77, also from Glasgow, said: "A lot of women in my age group are widows or have family that live elsewhere and TV is their contact with the outside world.

"For lots of elderly people their dignity is very important and to go through the whole means-testing process, they would be put off.

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"I don't think it should be on the BBC, it should be on this government, it should be on the Conservative Government, they've passed the buck to the BBC which I don't think is very democratic at all."

Many protesters held placards with messages such as’ Save Our Free TV Licence’.

Jake McLeod, 73, chairman of the Unite retired members branch for Glasgow and the west of Scotland, said: "The Tories in their manifesto made it quite clear that they were going to keep the licence for the over-75s but the onus has been put back on the BBC.

"In our opinion the Tories are to blame for it all and we hope that a demonstration of this nature will grow throughout the country and they will see sense and assist those elderly people that need their TV to keep themselves going because that's all they've got, a lot of people, stuck in their house."

Protests also took place in London at Broadcasting House in London.

A BBC spokeswoman, said: "We appreciate that people feel strongly about this issue, and recognise that many people have signed the Age UK petition calling on the Government to restore funding for free TV licences.

"We know pensioner poverty is an important issue, and that's why we're ensuring the poorest older pensioners continue to get a free licence, while avoiding the closure of major services which would be necessary if we were to meet the £745 million-a-year cost.

"We have written to charities and older people's groups to work together to ensure the poorest older pensioners know how to claim Pension Credit. We hope that pensioners will consider claiming as they could then be eligible for around £2,500 and other benefits as well as a free TV licence."