A RETIRED detective who said he raised concerns about Jimmy Savile abusing girls at Stoke Mandeville Hospital has declined to make a formal statement – but says he stands by his account.

John Lindsay worked for Thames Valley Police during the late 1970s when he said he spoke to a young nurse at the hospital - where Savile was a major fundraiser and regular visitor.

According to Mr Lindsay, the nurse told him that staff were worried that Savile was touching girls inappropriately on hospital visits.

He says he reported the matter and was told by a senior colleague: "Jimmy Savile is a high-profile man. He must be OK. He could not be doing anything irregular. Don't worry about it.”

Mr Lindsay told the BBC last week: "I wasn't satisfied but there was nothing I could do about it."

The 71-year-old, who lives in Milton Keynes, met with officers last Friday to discuss his account.

But afterwards a Thames Valley Police spokesman said Mr Lindsay did not make a statement and was “unable to provide any evidence or identify any senior officers he may have briefed about his concerns”.

Mr Lindsay told the Bucks Free Press after the meeting: “All this happened many many years ago.... I can’t remember names.

“The people we are talking about now are very long retired and may well be deceased. But I stand by it.”

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs Stoke Mandeville Hospital, said it has been “shocked and saddened" to hear of the allegations about Savile.

It added: "We have no record of any complaints of this nature and would have taken swift and decisive action if this had formally been raised with us....

"We continue to cooperate fully with the police in their enquiries and have met with them to discuss their review.”