Tony Blackburn

Another celebrity dives in police enquiry into abuse

Tony Blackburn

Fun loving DJ Tony Blackburn has been sacked from the BBC after failing to fully co-operate with the BBC Savile inquiry.  BBC Boss Lord Hall said he had “fallen short” of standards the inquiry demanded. A claim that he seduced a 15 year old female after a recording of Top of the Pops has been strongly denied by Blackburn.  He is now 73 and the girl in question apparently committed suicide after the alleged incident dating back to 1971.  Her mother Vera made a complaint to the BBC as Claire McAlpine died afterwards. Blackburn is preparing to sue saying the BBC made him a scapegoat for the alleged cover-up.

Retired judge Dame Janet Smith is part of the investigation which is not satisfied with the outcome of the enquiry. Blackburn has delivered a statement from outside his Barnet home and posted on Twitter “Good morning, I just want to say thanks so much for your overwhelming support it means a lot to me xx”.

There is said to be another “predatory paedophile” still in the BBC so there may be more disturbances of the personnel in that establishment. Scotland Yard detectives from the operation Yew Tree are still looking through evidence to determine a way forward.

“Child sex abusers can be highly intelligent, articulate and charismatic but manipulative people.  That’s why the biggest lesson for me is that we all have to be eternally vigilant.” said Dame Janet on her investigation into historic sex abuse crimes.