Jimmy Savile investigation: Vandals target Savile’s Glen Coe hideaway

JIMMY Savile’s Highland hideaway in Glen Coe has been targeted by vandals who have smashed windows and scrawled grafitti over its walls.

A passer-by reported yesterday that the idyllically situated cottage, Allt-na Reigh, had been daubed with graffiti.

“Jimmy the beast” was painted on the wall and the door had been badly damaged.

Police are investigating hundreds of sex abuse allegations against Savile, including claims that some acts of abuse took place inside the whitewashed cottage.

Yesterday, on the eve of the first anniversary of Savile’s death, Sergeant David Campbell of Northern Constabulary, confirmed: “There has been a report of vandalism, it was reported this morning at 7:30am by a passer-by.”

He said police were now planning to go to the house, which sits in the shadows on the Three Sisters mountain range, to investigate.

He said that there had been no damage at the cottage when an earlier police search took place there last week.

Sgt Campbell said: “The Metropolitan Police were there on Wednesday and there was no damage then.”

Former Highland Councillor Drew McFarlane-Slack, who lives at Ballachulish, the neighbouring village to the glen, said of the vandalism: “I deplore any kind of actions like that, but when people have said things have happened in that house – it doesn’t make it understandable, but people will take action when they are so angry and annoyed about it.

“The sooner the executors of his estate sell that house and get it removed from any connection with him, the better.

“It would be much better if the executors acted quickly and get it sold and into the hands of somebody who can remove the stain that’s on it.”

A Northern Constabulary spokesman said the vandalism was believed to have happened overnight.

He added: “A number of abusive slogans were painted on the walls of the premises.”

Police are appealing for information regarding the incident and anyone who can help is asked to contact Fort William Police.

Earlier this month, a memorial plaque on Savile’s Scarborough flat was vandalised with the words “paedophile” and “rapist” daubed on it.

Savile’s family had earlier had the £4,000 triple headstone removed from his grave at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough and destroyed.