BBC apologises after episode of children's show The Tweenies features character dressed as child sex abuser Jimmy Savile

Tweenies character appears on show dressed as Jimmy Savile

Hundreds took to social networking sites to point out the impersonation



'It's a total disgrace' says one parent who saw programme this morning

BBC has apologised for airing the programme which was made in 2001

Abuse charity warns of the impact it could have on victims



The BBC was forced into another apology over Jimmy Savile yesterday after an impersonation of the disgraced star appeared on children’s TV.

As parents enjoyed a Sunday lie-in, children watching the CBeebies channel saw a character called Max presenting a Top Of The Pops-style programme.

He wore a blond wig and gold neck-lace, and did a good impression of Savile’s Yorkshire accent and distinctive speaking style.

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The BBC has apologised after a costume version of Jimmy Savile appeared on the Cbeebies show Tweenies The character was presenting a Top Of The Pops-style show on the children's programme

The offending Tweenies episode was made in 2001, but blundering schedulers repeated it at 8.30am yesterday.

It was shown days after police said the predatory DJ, who molested children in his BBC dressing room in the 1970s, was one of the country’s worst ever sex offenders. His 214 confirmed offences, including 34 rapes, stretch from 1955 to 2009.

Hundreds of parents complained on social networking sites, while a child abuse charity warned that the gaffe could ‘re-traumatise’ victims.

The episode featured characters performing songs, introduced by the character Max, who appeared to be dressed as Jimmy Savile Hundreds were discussing the episode on the social networking site Twitter after it aired this morning

The episode features characters from the programme performing their favourite songs in a format similar to Top Of The Pops. Max, the presenter, says: ‘Hello all you guys and gals out there, ah ah ah.

A report published last week by Scotland Yard and NSPCC said the DJ spent 'every waking minute' thinking about abusing children

‘Welcome to the Tweenies chart countdown. Today we are going to hear all the Tweenies’ favourite songs but first on stage is young Milo who has chosen this number as his favourite song because he likes to move and dance.

‘So, at number four in the Tweenies chart with One Finger, One Thumb, it’s Milo.’

Mark Roberts, 42, was watching the show with his six-year-old daughter when he saw the impersonation of Savile. ‘I think it’s completely out of order,’ he said. ‘It’s not right for anyone to be dressed as that evil man, let alone a children’s TV character.’

Service engineer Mr Roberts, from North Wales, has made a complaint to the regulator, Ofcom.

On Twitter, Kenny Senior wrote: ‘Are BBC trying to self-destruct? Max from Tweenies dressed as Jimmy Savile just now – nearly choked on my cornflakes.’

Peter Saunders, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: ‘There’s no doubt it could re-traumatise people. You can’t understate just what it means to people who have suffered abuse.’

The BBC said: ‘This programme will not be repeated and we are very sorry for any offence caused.’