Counter-terror police are looking into whether the BBC broke the law in the making of its Gaza documentary by paying for the involvement of a Hamas official’s son.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received multiple reports raising concerns about Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone after it emerged that its child narrator, a 14-year-old boy named Abdullah, was the son of a senior figure in the Hamas-run government.

A spokesman for the force said officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command are “currently assessing whether any police action is required in relation to this matter”.

It is illegal to give money to terrorist organisations and the BBC has faced questions over whether any money was paid to Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK.

The broadcaster has admitted that the boy’s family had been paid for his involvement but said it had been assured by Hoyo Films, the independent production company, that no payments were made to Hamas or its affiliates.

The development comes as the BBC faces calls for an independent inquiry after it admitted to serious and unacceptable flaws in the making of the programme.