Former detective makes shock claims that Jimmy Savile was quizzed over Yorkshire Ripper murders

Member of the public named Savile as a 'potential Ripper suspect'

Peter Sutcliffe today rubbished claims that Savile abused patient at Broadmoor mental hospital, where he is a patient

Yorkshire Ripper claims Savile was his 'friend' and donated money to charities Sutcliffe supported



A former detective who helped catch the Yorkshire Ripper has tonight made the shocking claim that Jimmy Savile was quizzed over the serial murderer's crimes.

Former West Yorkshire detective John Stainthorpe told ITV Yorkshire Calendar News that Savile was brought in for questioning after members of the public contacted the police naming the eccentric DJ as a possible killer.

Mr Stainthorpe, who worked for the West Yorkshire force for more than 40 years, and who spent years trying to catch Peter Sutcliffe, told the programme: 'When the Ripper was really active one of the suspects put forward by members of the public was Jimmy Savile, strange as it may seem.

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Savile, seen at Broadmoor in 1991, as Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe meets boxer Frank Bruno, who was on a visit to open a new gym

John Stainthorpe said a member of the public named Savile as a suspect

'Obviously it was not him, but he was interviewed along with many others, as you can appreciate.'

Today, however, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: 'Hundreds of people were identified in the operation, we cannot be more specific than that at this time.

'Details of all who were questioned in connection with the crimes are in storage, so we cannot confirm that Jimmy Savile was spoken to.'

Mr Stainthorpe said the person who gave police the anonymous tip-off was 'aiming in the right direction'.

'Child perverts soon become child killers,' he added.

The detective's shocking revelation comes as the killer claimed today that Savile regularly visited him in custody and the pair became friends.

Rubbishing claims the late DJ abused around 300 victims over six decades, Sutcliffe said those making allegations were 'jumping on the bandwagon'.

The Yorkshire Ripper's horrific crimes shocked the nation as he embarked on a murderous rampage across the country, slashing his victims, mutilating them and killing them.

Between 1975 and 1980, the vicious murderer attacked women, stabbed his victims with screwdrivers, stamped on them, left notes with their bodies taunting police for not catching him and killed in total 13 women.



Officers desperate to catch him cast their net far and wide as they hunted for the man who signed his notes as 'Jack The Ripper' and launched a huge campaign, publishing his notes and voice recordings in a bid to have someone identify the murderer by his writing or voice.

In 1981 he was convicted of murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others.

Sutcliffe, 66, who will never be released from Broadmoor mental hospital, told the Sun that the claims made against his 'friend' Savile were just exaggerations.



Jimmy Savile, shown relaxing at his penthouse flat in Roundhay, Leeds, in 2006, lived just yards from where Sutcliffe killed his third victim

A victim of Savile has demanded police instigate any links between him and the Yorkshire Ripper

Peter Sutcliffe has defended Savile

He said: 'It's a load of rubbish. People are just getting carried away.

'He visited a lot. He'd always come and chat with me on visits and I would introduce him to my visitors.

Several times he left £500 for charities I was supporting.'

One of Savile’s abuse victims urged police to investigate any links between the pair, The Sun reported.



The victim told the newspaper: 'Sutcliffe and Savile are two peas in a pod.

'It's quite fitting the only person to stick up for Savile is Sutcliffe.'

Sutcliffe's 'friend' Savile was said to have been given his own set of gold-plated keys to high-security Broadmoor mental hospital, where Sutcliffe is a patient.

He was allegedly given bedrooms or an office at three hospitals, and yesterday more former patients came forward to say he abused them on children’s wards.

The details come after it was reported that Sutcliffe killed his third victim, Irene Richardson, mere yards from Savile’s flat in Roundhay, Leeds, in 1977.

Miss Richardson was killed near the disgraced paedophile's three-bedroom penthouse, which overlooks Roundhay Park.



It is three miles outside Leeds city centre, with floor to ceiling windows, and has been put on the market for £325,000, with the proceeds intended for the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust.

Savile's relatives said they do not want a penny of his £4.3million estate and called for the cash to be donated to an organisation to tackle sex crimes.

Mental hospital: A gold-plated set of keys to Broadmoor was presented to the predatory paedophile as a reward for his volunteering, and gave him access to mentally ill patients, it was claimed

At Broadmoor, Savile boasted that he was actually responsible for getting some mentally ill patients - among them murderers - freed from their sentences.

He called himself the ‘Governor’ of the hospital and was made chairman of a hospital taskforce by the Department of Health in the 1980s.

Savile, who died a year ago aged 84 in his Leeds flat, is now believed by police to be one of the UK's most prolific child abusers.



Scotland Yard is leading a national investigation into the television and radio star's activities.



Detectives are following 400 lines of inquiry while the BBC has launched an inquiry into the culture and practices at the corporation in the era of Savile's alleged sexual abuse.

VIDEO: John Stainthorpe says Jimmy Savile was questioned by police...

Savile was allegedly questioned by police about the crimes of Peter Sutcliffe. Seen here are twelve of his 13 victims

Police are pictured searching the grounds of a property where the body of Marguerite Walls, the 12th victim of Peter Sutcliffe, was discovered. A detective claims the disgraced DJ was quizzed by police in connection with the terrible deaths

Police and forensic experts, seen examining the place where another victim was killed by the Yorkshire Ripper, spoke to hundreds in their hunt for the killer The police launched a huge campaign to track down the killer who hurt so many women, and were given Savile's name by a member of the public during the inquiry

Last month health chiefs announced an inquiry into Jimmy Savile’s reign of abuse at three NHS hospitals.

It will be run by the Department of Health itself, raising fears it cannot be truly independent.



Former barrister Kate Lampard will oversee the investigation to provide ‘independent oversight’, Downing Street pledged.

It will examine why the paedophile presenter was allegedly given the keys to Broadmoor mental hospital, a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville and free rein at Leeds General Infirmary.



He allegedly raped and molested young victims for decades without anyone stopping him.



A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘[Kate Lampard] will provide oversight of the Stoke Mandeville, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor inquiries as well as the Department of Health’s inquiries into the appointment and role Savile held at Broadmoor Hospital.



‘All relevant information from these inquiries will be passed to the police.’



Unlike the BBC, which has issued several grovelling apologies, none of the hospitals has yet said sorry for the alleged abuse.

