Jimmy Savile's desolate grave after disgusted family took drastic action
Jimmy Savile rose to stardom as the eccentric entertainer on the BBC, but out of sight, he sexually abused hundreds of victims for more than five decades. The disgraced DJ's sickening crimes are now being retold in a chilling drama, The Reckoning, with actor Steve Coogan taking on the lead role as paedophile Savile. Although the Jim'll Fix It star faced allegations of sexual assault during his successful showbusiness career, he brushed off the claims, with the full scandal of his offending not coming to light until after his death.
More than 200 witnesses came forward and police opened up 400 investigations, resulting in Savile finally being exposed as a disgusting paedophile, rapist and serial abuser, whose youngest victim was aged just five. Savile, who died aged 84, was found dead in his flat, which overlooked Roundhey Park in Leeds, on October 29, 2011.
The coffin of Sir Jimmy Savile is seen outside Roman Catholic St Anne's Cathedral (Pic: PA)Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, which happened two days before his 85th birthday. At the time, his nephew, Roger Foster, said he "passed away quietly in his sleep during the night". Savile's passing came a short while after he had been in hospital battling pneumonia.
His closed satin coffin was displayed at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds, alongside the last cigar he smoked and his two This Is Your Life books, which saw around 4,000 people visit to pay their respects. His funeral took place at Leeds Cathedral on November 9 as hundreds of mourners lined the streets.
Savile was then buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough and specified in his will that his coffin, encased with concrete as a security precaution, was to be inclined at 45 degrees so he could 'see the sea'. He had been honoured with an elaborate £4,000 headstone, which featured various inscriptions about his achievements, but after the wave of allegations came about, his family had the 4ft granite memorial stone removed and it was sent to landfill.
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A statement issued by the Savile family at the time said: "The family members are deeply aware of the impact that the stone remaining there could have on the dignity and sanctity of the cemetery. Out of respect to public opinion, to those who are buried there, and to those who tend their graves and visit there, we have decided to remove it."
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On the right-hand side of the headstone was an epitaph which listed his many perceived personas at the time of his passing, including "Philanthropist, TV Presenter, DJ, Marathon runner, Cyclist, Wrestler…" The headstone also had the inscription "it was good while it lasted".
It took two hours for workers, guarded by police, to dig up the grave and remove the headstone and foundations in an overnight operation. At the time, funeral director Robert Morphet said: "For the foreseeable future the grave will remain unmarked. The family will decide at some future point about what to do."
In an interview before his death, Savile said: "I've got a bounce back-ability, but this time I don't seem to be bouncing back." Savile also said in response to a question about turning 85: "So many women, so little time."
Immediately after his death, the BBC's Newsnight began an investigation into reports that he was a sexual abuser. The full extent of his crimes was later revealed in a 2013 report, which recorded 214 criminal offences committed by the star, some of which took place at hospitals, including Great Ormond Street in London and Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds.
His offending is thought to have started in the mid-1940s, when Savile was in his late teens or early twenties, and lasted until 2009, two years before his death. A 2016 report into his abuse found staff at the BBC missed numerous opportunities to stop Savile.
* The Reckoning returns to BBC One on Tuesday at 9pm
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