The extent of the case and of the charges brought against Savile, who died last year, have escalated considerably since the allegations first came to light, with 120 lines of inquiry being pursued by police, and with the possibility of there being up to 30 victims.

So far, eight criminal allegations have been formally made, including two rape allegations as well as six indecent assault allegations.

“At this stage it is quite clear from what women are telling us that Savile was a predatory sex offender,” the Met’s head of specialist crime investigations Commander Peter Spindler has told the BBC.

It is alleged that Savile, pictured above in 2006,  not only abused girls in his dressing room while at the BBC, but that his alleged crimes may have extended further, with police in contact with Stoke Mandeville and Leeds General Infirmary hospitals about the possibility that he could have abused patients there while carrying out charity work, too

The headstone at a Scarborough cemetery where he was buried, which was only unveiled last month, has also been taken down by Savile’s family with a number of other memorials around the UK also removed, since the allegations first came to light last week.

Photo: Getty.