Yeah, the BBC has a bit more clout than us.
I'd email them asking for explicit permission, if I were you.

Andrew Gray wrote: 
2009/1/30 AndrewRT <raturvey@yahoo.co.uk>:
  
My knowledge of copyright law is limited, but surely if the BBC
creates a photograph of an object which is in the public domain, they
still own the copyright to the photograph?
    

Probably.

In the US, this doesn't apply. In the UK... it probably does, but
there isn't much recent caselaw AIUI and if someone took it to court
it could potentially go either way. I'd bet on the court ruling for
them retaining the rights, though.

  

-- 
George D. Watson