It was reported in the Sun on Sunday that Savile – described by police after his death as an “opportunistic sexual predator” who abused young girls and women for decades at the height of his fame – that the paper had learned of the allegation from the inquiry.

The Communications Unit at the Chief Minister’s department said that because the inquiry is an independent one, no comment will be made by any States departments until the final report is published.

Savile was a regular visitor to Jersey, and in October 2012 police confirmed that he had been investigated as part of the inquiry into historic abuse. They were told that he had been involved in an indecent assault in the 1970s, but that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.