THE controversial former head of Radio Solent will not return to the Southampton station until at least the end of the year.

When Mia Costello left last February to teach “editorial leadership” to BBC journalism students, corporation chiefs insisted she would be back within a year.

But she has now had her temporary placement with the BBC’s College of Journalism extended until at least the end of December.

Ms Costello’s reign at Solent was marred by plummeting listener figures after she axed several popular presenters, including Richard Cartridge, Peter White, Dennis Skillicorn, Chris Walker and Pippa Greenwood.

Nearly a fifth of the audience was lost in just a year, during which the station head tried to ban “elderly voices” from the airwaves.

In a memo to staff, leaked to the Daily Echo, Ms Costello urged station workers not to allow anyone sounding older than 65 to be put on air.

Since her departure, under the stewardship of replacement Chris Carnegy, the station has recorded more listeners tuning in, although the overall audience share fell to a record low.