It has been confirmed two independent production companies have made an approach to buy BBC Three - which is due to be downsized into an online-only service.

Hat Trick and Avalon say if they took it over, it would stay on TV and have a budget three times bigger than the current proposal.

But the BBC has said the station is not for sale: "BBC Three (is) not for sale because it's not closing - (the) proposal to move it online is part of bold move to reinvent BBC's offer for young people," the corporation said on Twitter.

It adds: "The proposal is part of a wider package of measures including a new BBC One+1 channel, changes to BBC iPlayer and CBBC."

It has also said that people will be able to watch new BBC Three programmes without the internet.

"All new BBC Three programmes would be on BBC One and BBC Two...as well as BBC iPlayer and a new home on bbc.co.uk," the statement says.

The proposals have been opened to a public consultation by the BBC Trust, which represents British licence fee payers.

A second consultation is due to take place after the Trust has published its provisional conclusions.