BRITISH talents from ethnic minority backgrounds are being lost to the US because of the belief they don't have star power, comic and actor Lenny Henry has told MPs.

The star was giving evidence about his proposals to increase the numbers of people from ethnic minorities working at the BBC and other broadcasters.

He said that Director-General Tony Hall's plan, announced last week, to set up a £2.1 million "diversity creative talent fund" to help "fast-track" shows by ethnic minority talent on to the screen and create a series of development programmes did not go far enough.

Actors such as Chiwetel Ejiofor and Idris Elba had not needed more training, they just needed "a break", he said. He told the Culture, Media and Sport committee that there was "fatigue" because 29 previous initiatives had not worked.