Mark Williams-Thomas, the former police officer who first publicly exposed Jimmy Savile as a sex offender, has called for a fresh probe into the late BBC DJ's activities after a rediscovered school magazine interview raised new concerns. He claims Savile was more active in Scotland than many people realise and had regular contact with schools and other places where young people gather.
Lochaber High School interview emerges
The 1969 interview with senior schoolgirls at Lochaber High School in Fort William was rediscovered, showing Savile making 'creepy' remarks to four sixth form pupils with no teacher present. Williams-Thomas said the revelations should be a 'wake-up call' to authorities and that Savile could have carried out hidden attacks in the area.
In the interview, when asked if he had any message for pupils, Savile replied: 'Yes, if any of the girls feel their education is incomplete they can come to me at half hourly intervals and if any of the boys feel their education is incomplete they can jump in the river.' He also named the Luton Girls Choir, which featured girls aged 12 to 23, as his favourite artists.
Savile's links to Fort William
Savile was a regular visitor to the Lochaber and Fort William area, where he used to holiday, and served as Chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for 34 years. He made a second visit to the school in 1971 for his Radio 1 show. A former pupil who unearthed the magazine said the answers were 'frightening' and should have raised red flags.
Williams-Thomas, who presented the 2012 ITV documentary that led to Operation Yewtree, said there were 'no doubt there are more victims in Scotland' and called for further investigation by police. He added: 'It doesn't matter that he is dead it still needs investigating. This interview highlights that there is a lot that remains undealt with.'
Police Scotland stated they are committed to thoroughly investigating all reports of sexual crime against children, regardless of the time elapsed or the perpetrator's status.
