A former boss at the BBC had questioned Sir Jimmy Savile about the rumours circulating around his private life some 20 years ago it has emerged following an interview on BBC Radio earlier today.

Derek Chinnery, who was Radio 1 controller from 1976-85, said he asked the entertainer about "these rumours we hear," when he spoke to BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House earlier today.

During the talk, he admitted that, although he didn't know Jimmy that well personally, nor did Jimmy ever associate much with other DJs and BBC personalities, he asked the late Savile about the rumours that he had sexually abused under-aged girls. Savile immediately discredited the rumours saying that they were "all nonsense," and that was enough for him to believe the late DJ, TV host and philanthropist.

Chinnery adds in his talk that given Savile's life-long bachelordom, these rumours were always going to be persistent but at the time Jimmy's word was enough to dispel the rumours. Of course, in hindsight the discreditation from Savile was always going to occur, Chinnery also said.

Police are currently working with the BBC and the NHS, particularly those based at Broadmoor Hospital where Savile volunteered, to investigate the rumours that Savile may have sexually abused up to 60 people dating from 1959 to the late 1980's.