Savile compensation ads to appear in newspapers

Advertisements are to be placed in newspapers later this month alerting victims of sex abuse by Jimmy Savile to the availability of compensation, a High Court heard today.

Notices would be placed in the Daily Mirror, The Times and some local newspapers to meet legal requirements, Mr Justice Sales was told today at a High Court hearing in London.

The judge had approved the placement of advertisements at a hearing in February - saying it was important that anyone who thought that they had a claim came forward.

Mr Justice Sales has heard that around 140 alleged victims of Savile - who worked at the BBC and is alleged to have sexually assaulted people in hospitals- had already contacted lawyers.

And lawyers say they think the vast majority of alleged victims have already come forward.

In February, Mr Justice Sales had approved a compensation scheme agreed between the estate executor, lawyers representing alleged victims, the NHS and the BBC.

A lawyer representing the estate executor, the NatWest bank, today gave detail of advertisements as lawyers discussed a variety of issues in the wake of the judge's decision to sanction the scheme.