article_snippet.sent: Pollster ICM, which was hired by BBC'
   to select the audience members, today defended BBC'
   process 'using random location selection techniques'.
article_snippet.sent: Independent pollsters ICM were hired by BBC'
   to select the audience of around 250 people.
article_snippet.sent: ICM added: 'The recruitment approach replicated those used by ICM at all the 2010 leader debates, both the Clegg vs Farage debates last year, and the recent ITV debate.'
article_snippet.sent: A spokesman for the corporation told MailOnline yesterday: 'ICM recruited an audience to give a cross section of political opinion.'
article_snippet.sent: ICM, a public opinion research company founded in 1989, was unavailable for comment last night.