Regulator says poll data did not sufficiently back up claim of support for plan to stop remunerating rescue officers

The head of the UK coastguard agency is facing calls to resign after she was found to have used unverified data to back up her controversial plan to strip rescue officers of their pay.

Virginia McVea, the chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), claimed more than 90% of coastguard rescue officers supported the proposal, citing an official survey. Now, after an Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) investigation, the agency has admitted its poll did not sufficiently back up the claim.