BBC News said on Monday the broadcaster had received a letter from US President Donald Trump threatening legal action over the edit of a documentary broadcast a week before the US presidential election.

The BBC has acknowledged the Trump speech edit gave a misleading impression and should have been handled more carefully.

The documentary broadcast last year had spliced together two parts of a Trump speech so he appeared to be encouraging the Capitol Hill riot of January 2021.

"We will review the letter and respond directly in due course," a BBC spokesperson told Reuters in an email.

Samir Shah, the chairman of the publicly-funded broadcaster, said in an interview with BBC News that it was considering how to respond to Trump's communication.

When prompted about whether Trump would be suing the BBC, Shah said: "I do not know that yet, but he's a litigious fellow, so we should be prepared for all outcomes."

Shah on Monday also apologised for an "error of judgement" in editing Trump's speech in a Panorama documentary, following the resignations of BBC's boss and head of news.

He noted the issue had been reviewed internally earlier this year, but said the broadcaster should have taken formal action at the time.

"It is absolutely clear the BBC must champion impartiality," Shah wrote to British lawmakers, adding that the broadcaster is committed to restoring public trust and ensuring its journalism meets the highest standards of fairness. (Reuters)