Jimmy Savile was questioned by police investigating the Yorkshire Ripper murders, a senior officer who worked on the inquiry has revealed.

Former West Yorkshire police detective John Stainthorpe said the presenter was a suspect in the notorious case more than 30 years ago.

Savile, who died last year aged 84, has also been linked to allegations of abuse at a care home in north Wales, according to reports. The Sun newspaper claimed that boys were molested for the former DJ's "entertainment" at Bryn Estyn in the 1970s.

The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, has defended Savile, who he claims is innocent and who he says befriended him during visits to Broadmoor high-security hospital.

Stainthorpe, who spent 40 years in the force, told ITV: "When the Ripper was really active, one of the suspects put forward by the public was, in fact, Jimmy Savile.

"Obviously, it was not he, but he was interviewed along with many others."

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.

West Yorkshire police confirmed on Wednesday that Savile "may" have been questioned by Ripper detectives.

A force spokesman said: "As with thousands of other men in Leeds at the time, he may at some time have been approached by detectives on the investigation.

"What is without doubt is that Savile was clearly not the Yorkshire Ripper."

Sutcliffe was convicted in 1981 of murdering 13 women and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He is being held at Broadmoor and has been told he will never be freed. Sutcliffe claimed on Tuesday that Savile had visited him regularly in custody and that the pair became friends.

Dismissing claims that Savile abused about 300 victims over six decades, he said those making allegations were "jumping on the bandwagon". Sutcliffe, 66, told the Sun: "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."

Savile 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.

The BBC has launched an inquiry into the culture and practices at the corporation in the era of Savile's alleged sexual abuse.

Lawyers representing the disgraced DJ's alleged victims said they had notified his estate executors, the BBC and three hospitals that they planned to launch damages claims against them.

Three more cases were likely to be pursued against the BBC in the coming weeks, one lawyer said.

Executor NatWest has already frozen the former presenter's £4m estate.

Law firm Pannone, which has been contacted by 46 of his alleged victims, says it has received "firm instructions" to proceed with eight claims.

Seven will be made against Savile's estate and one will be launched against the BBC and his estate jointly.

All victims were aged between 10 and 13 when the alleged abuse took place in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Pannone lawyer Alan Collins said: "I anticipate around three more against the BBC in the coming weeks.

"It's very serious stuff. If Savile was alive and convicted, he'd be looking at a very long stretch in prison, if not life."

He said they were receiving new complaints by the day, around 40% of which have been made by men.

Liz Dux, an expert in child abuse cases at lawyers Russell, Jones & Walker, said she had been contacted by around 35 victims.

She said letters had been sent to the BBC and Leeds general infirmary, Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor hospitals telling them legal action was planned against them. NatWest has also been contacted in its role as estate executor.

Russell, Jones & Walker's "letters of action" represent victims generally, rather than specific cases, due to many complaints being "strikingly similar", she said.

"We're still getting claims in by the day," said Dux. "The evidence that victims are giving is strikingly similar.

"Some very serious cases are coming forward now, and not just women. There's a reasonable percentage of men."

She added that some of the male complainants have made allegations of very serious sexual assaults by Savile.