Jimmy Savile’s headstone removed from grave ‘out of respect to public opinion’

• Police examining up to 120 lines of inquiry in Savile investigation

• Headstone removed from Scarborough grave and will be broken up

Savile’s family said they made the decision to ensure the “dignity and sanctity” of Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough.

Scarborough Borough Council said work to dismantle the memorial headstone, which bears Savile’s image and lists his accomplishments, was carried out shortly after midnight.

In a statement the council said: “We have been advised by the funeral directors, Joseph A Hey and Son, acting on behalf of Jimmy Savile’s family, that the headstone at Woodlands Cemetery has been removed.”

Savile’s headstone, which overlooks the sea from Woodlands Cemetery, was due to be removed at 7am today but the work was brought forward to midnight last night to avoid unwanted attention and out of respect for those with relatives in the graveyard.

The elaborate tombstone has been taken to a stonemason’s yard in Leeds where the inscription will be ground down.

It will then be broken up and sent to landfill.

Savile’s family asked for its removal after it emerged police believe the former presenter could have abused up to 25 victims over 40 years.

A family spokesman said in a statement: “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.”

A number of memorials to Savile have already been removed, including a statue at a Glasgow swimming pool, an inscription on the wall at Leeds Civic Hall in recognition of his charity work, and a street sign in Scarborough. A plaque outside his home has been defaced.

Police said yesterday that Savile’s abuse might have been on a “national scale”.

Scotland Yard has formally recorded eight criminal allegations against the former Top Of The Pops presenter so far in its investigation, named Operation Yewtree.

The alleged abuse involves teenage girls as young as 13 and includes two complaints of rape and six of indecent assault, with officers looking into up to 120 lines of inquiry.

The grave, in which Savile was buried at an angle so he could “see” Scarborough Castle and the sea, will remain unmarked for the foreseeable future.

The prime spot, which is roped off, was today identifiable only by several bunches of flowers on a dirt patch where the headstone stood.

Mr Morphit said that once the family had come to terms with the outcome of various investigations they will make a decision as to how the grave should be marked in the future.