The Equality and Human Rights Commission will write to the BBC over claims of unlawful pay discrimination made by former China editor Carrie Gracie.

The watchdog said it will request all relevant information from the corporation and then decide whether further action is required, following the row over Ms Gracie's claims.

The journalist said she learned last year that of the four international editors in the past four years at the corporation, two men had earned more than their female counterparts.

In the pay disclosure last year, North America editor Jon Sopel was listed as having a salary of between £200,000 and £249,999, while Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen earned between £150,000 and £199,999.

Europe editor Katya Adler did not make the list.

Ms Gracie said on Monday morning that she earned £135,000 as China editor, and was offered an increase of £45,000 when she complained about the discrepancy.

The long-time journalist said accepting the wage boost would have meant colluding in "unlawful pay discrimination".

"Women have a legal right to equal pay with men for equal work", said a spokesman for the EHRC in a statement.

"All employers have a duty to do more to end discrimination and ensure they fully comply with equality law."

Ms Gracie said she was willing to take a salary cut if the BBC chose to restructure pay scales to ensure fairness.

"For me the money is not the issue. The issue is the equality," Ms Gracie told Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman on Monday evening.

The senior BBC journalist said her bosses have not contacted her since the story of the reasons for her resignation broke on Sunday.

She said: "No one has picked up the phone, no. Actually to be fair, one boss overnight just wanted to check I was okay for the Today Programme."

Ms Gracie, who has been with the BBC for 30 years and has led its China coverage since 2004, described the pay offer as a "divide-and-rule, botched solution".

Explaining her decision to resign, she said: "I could not do it, nor could I stay silent and watch the BBC perpetuate a failing pay structure by discriminating against women."

A BBC spokesman said: "Fairness in pay is vital. A significant number of organisations have now published their gender pay figures showing that we are performing considerably better than many and are well below the national average."

He highlighted the broadcaster's independent judge-led pay audit for "rank-and-file" staff which showed "no systemic discrimination against women" and said a separate report for on-air staff would be published "in the not too distant future".

Up to 200 women at various levels of the organisation have made complaints about pay, according to BBC Women, a group of more than 150 broadcasters and producers.