Mr Greg Dyke left BBC headquarters in London tonight to the cheers of colleagues after resigning as Director-General in the aftermath of the Hutton report.
An emotional Mr Dyke told staff: "I don't want to go. But if in the end you screw up you have to go." He also said he didn't "necessarily" accept the findings of Lord Hutton.
After he announced he was to quit staff staged walkouts in BBC offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff and Derry. Staff at the radio station, BBC Somerset Sound, walked out and the station aired a minute of silence.
Tony Blair
It was the second high-profile resignation after Lord Hutton's report into the death of the British government weapons scientist, Dr David Kelly. The report reserved its most damning criticism yesterday for the British state broadcaster. BBC chairman Mr Gavyn Davies resigned last night.
Speaking to the press outside BBC headquarters in London earlier, Mr Dyke said his sole aim throughout the controversy had been "to defend the editorial integrity of the BBC". He expressed the hope that following his resignation "a line can be drawn under this whole episode". Mr Mark Byford has been appointed acting Director-General.
Acting BBC Chairman Richard Ryder apologised on behalf of the state broadcaster. "The BBC must now move forward in the wake of Lord Hutton's report, which highlighted serious defects in the corporation's processes and procedures."
"On behalf of the BBC I have no hesitation in apologising unreservedly for our errors and to the individuals whose reputations were affected by them."
A BBC spokeswoman said: "It is a difficult time for BBC staff and we understand how they must be feeling."
Some BBC staff said they were feeling "shell shocked" at the departure of Mr Dyke, who was a popular figure at the corporation.
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair welcomed the BBC's apology and said: "This for me has always been a very simple matter of an accusation that was a very serious one that was made. It has now been withdrawn, that is all I ever wanted.
"I want to make it absolutely clear I fully respect the independence of the BBC. I have no doubt that the BBC will continue as it should do to probe and question the Government in every proper way. What this does now is allow us to draw a line and move on."
Mr Davies resigned last night after Lord Hutton condemned the corporation's reports and procedures and comprehensively cleared Mr
Blair over the Iraqi weapons dossier and the David Kelly affair.
The BBC governors made a vigorous public defence of the accuracy of the story and their right to broadcast it in the face of what they considered an unprecedented attack by Mr Alastair Campbell, then Downing Street's head of communications.
Mr Dyke apologised in a televised broadcast last night. He said he accepted that "certain key allegations" reported by Mr Gilligan on the Todayprogramme on May 29th last year were wrong and said the BBC apologised for them.
But he added: "However, we would point out again that at no stage in the last eight months have we accused the Prime Minister [Mr Blair] of lying and have said this publicly on several occasions."
BBC chairman Mr Gavyn Davies resigned last night but also questioned Lord Hutton's conclusions.
Agencies