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Sir Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims: Police follow 340 leads Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims: Police follow 340 leads
(35 minutes later)
Police have said they have now received 340 potential lines of inquiry into sex abuse claims against Sir Jimmy Savile.Police have said they have now received 340 potential lines of inquiry into sex abuse claims against Sir Jimmy Savile.
The Metropolitan Police said it was in contact with 40 potential victims. The Metropolitan Police said it was in contact with 40 potential victims and continued to liaise with 14 police forces.
The Met has officially recorded 12 allegations of sexual offences but expect this number to grow.The Met has officially recorded 12 allegations of sexual offences but expect this number to grow.
Meanwhile, the BBC said it was "disturbed" by allegations that a former TV producer was ignored when he reported an abuse claim against Savile to bosses. Meanwhile, BBC director general George Entwistle said there would be two internal inquiries into the scandal.
A Met spokesman said: "Officers from the serious case team of the child abuse investigation command will continue to contact those who have come forward, to ensure that they are given the advice and support they need.
"We would once again praise the courage of, and thank everyone who has come forward to provide us with information to assist in understanding the scale of abuse perpetrated by Savile."
Independent experts
At a news conference, Mr Entwistle said the BBC executive board was commissioning two inquiries.
One would start immediately and look into why a Newsnight investigation into allegations against Savile was shelved last year.
The other would begin when the police gave the go-ahead and would look into the culture and practice at the BBC in the years Savile was there and whether this had allowed him to carry out the sexual abuse of children.
He said both inquiries would be chaired by independent external experts, whose names would be announced next week.
Mr Entwistle repeated his heartfelt apology for what had happened.
Earlier, Conservative MP Rob Wilson wrote to the director general calling for an independent public inquiry into the Newsnight investigation.
The BBC said it was "disturbed" by allegations that a former TV producer was ignored when he reported an abuse claim against Savile to bosses.
The Sun newspaper says that David Nicolson caught Savile having sex with a young girl in a BBC dressing room.The Sun newspaper says that David Nicolson caught Savile having sex with a young girl in a BBC dressing room.
The corporation has urged staff to report such information to its internal investigations unit or the police.
The Metropolitan Police is leading investigations and said it had received 340 potential lines of inquiry so far.
Mr Nicolson, now 67, is reported to have blown the whistle on Savile and claimed he was told: "That's the way it goes."Mr Nicolson, now 67, is reported to have blown the whistle on Savile and claimed he was told: "That's the way it goes."
The incident is said to have happened in a dressing room for the Jim'll Fix It programme, involving a girl Mr Nicholson said was aged "16, maybe 15".The incident is said to have happened in a dressing room for the Jim'll Fix It programme, involving a girl Mr Nicholson said was aged "16, maybe 15".
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We have been disturbed to hear these allegations. All staff past and present who have any information relating to allegations of this kind should raise them with the BBC's internal investigations unit or with the police directly."A BBC spokeswoman said: "We have been disturbed to hear these allegations. All staff past and present who have any information relating to allegations of this kind should raise them with the BBC's internal investigations unit or with the police directly."
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he could not understand how "this remained hidden for so long".Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he could not understand how "this remained hidden for so long".
"We need to teach particularly our kids - because we're such a celebrity driven culture at the moment - that however rich you are, however famous you are, however glamorous you are, everybody has to live by the same rules," he said."We need to teach particularly our kids - because we're such a celebrity driven culture at the moment - that however rich you are, however famous you are, however glamorous you are, everybody has to live by the same rules," he said.
"There cannot be one set of rules and laws for one bunch of people just because they're famous celebrities and another for everybody else.""There cannot be one set of rules and laws for one bunch of people just because they're famous celebrities and another for everybody else."
'Duty of care'
Television actress Julie Fernandez claimed Savile groped her when she appeared on Jim'll Fix It at the age of 14.Television actress Julie Fernandez claimed Savile groped her when she appeared on Jim'll Fix It at the age of 14.
Ms Fernandez, who went on to appear in the BBC shows The Office and Eldorado, said Savile's hands "lingered in places they shouldn't" as she sat beside the presenter in her wheelchair.Ms Fernandez, who went on to appear in the BBC shows The Office and Eldorado, said Savile's hands "lingered in places they shouldn't" as she sat beside the presenter in her wheelchair.
She and other children from her school were on the show after she wrote to Savile. She and other children from her school were on the show in 1988 after she wrote to Savile.
She said: "He had wandering hands. It was expertly done. His hands lingered on me - on my thigh, on my back, on my shoulder on my arm, two, three four seconds. Just that little bit too long.She said: "He had wandering hands. It was expertly done. His hands lingered on me - on my thigh, on my back, on my shoulder on my arm, two, three four seconds. Just that little bit too long.
"We were in a room full of people - we were in studios. So it wasn't obvious - and had I said anything he would have probably told me that I was a silly little girl who got the wrong impression.""We were in a room full of people - we were in studios. So it wasn't obvious - and had I said anything he would have probably told me that I was a silly little girl who got the wrong impression."
The BBC has learned that some of the women making abuse claims are now seeking compensation from the BBC and from Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Child abuse lawyer Liz Dux, who has been contacted by several of the women in the past few days, told BBC Radio 4's the World at One: "The case would be against the BBC or the hospital because essentially they would be held vicariously liable in law for the acts of someone like Savile who was acting as their agent.
"That's particularly the case where they might have had suspicions about what was going on. Their duty of care is heightened if there was that degree of foreseeability.
"By the nature of abuse, abuse cases are often historic, people feel great shame and psychologically don't feel able to talk about it for quite some time."
The BBC said it would not be able to comment on the claims while the police investigation was ongoing.