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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Benjamin Lynch

Jimmy Savile's wasted £4k headstone and where BBC paedophile is really buried

After the death of Jimmy Savile came revelations that stunned a nation still reeling from the sick crimes he committed.

The life of 'national treasure' Jimmy Savile was supposedly one of eccentricity and charity work, but behind his tinted glasses was a murky world of paedophile crime, masked by the rising smoke of his famous cigar.

And with a new Netflix docuseries Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story streaming from April 6, attention will be turned once again to how escaped justice.

Britain's notorious paedophile is believed to have preyed on 500 victims during his life - some as young as two years old - as well as patients receiving treatment in Broadmoor Hospital.

At Broadmoor, one former nurse told investigators that he performed acts on corpses and "mucked about" in the morgue.

As well as the Netflix show, a new BBC drama starring comedian Steve Coogan will also explore the life and crimes of Savile later this year.

Savile's horrors led to public outcry after his death. Anger was so rife that Savile's headstone was eventually removed from his grave.

Where is Jimmy Savile buried?

Disgraced paedophile Jimmy Savile is buried in Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough.

Savile lived in Scarborough and had long links to the area. He was buried there at a 45-degree angle so he could enjoy the view of the cemetery facing the sea, though six feet under.

Most of the allegations against Savile came out after the Jim'll Fix-It presenter died, but there were plenty when he was alive that were generally dismissed.

His TV success raised concerns about how his victims were dismissed or ignored during his lifetime, while his recognition as a 'sir' and charity work meant his funeral was lavish.

People lined the streets for his funeral at Leeds Cathedral when he died in October 2011, aged 84.

What happened to Jimmy Savile's gravestone?

Savile's gravestone cost around £4,000, but ended up as rubbish (Jonathan Pow)

After the knowledge of Jimmy Savile's crimes came to light, his family removed his headstone "out of respect to public opinion".

The headstone cost around £4,000 and was removed in the dead of night in 2012, in overseen by operation funeral director Robert Morphet.

The headstone, bearing the inscription "it was good while it lasted", was then sent to landfill.

Morphet explained: "The grave will now be ground down so the inscription is totally wiped and will be destroyed. It will be broken up, placed in a skip and used as a landfill."

A statement issued by the Savile family 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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