THE BBC has said it will make direct contact with police to provide full support over the "disturbing allegations" made about abuse involving Sir Jimmy Savile.

It comes as a historic rape allegation made against the entertainer was referred to Scotland Yard by officers.

A spokesman for the BBC said yesterday: "A number of serious and disturbing allegations have been made over the past few days about the sexual abuse of teenage girls by Jimmy Savile. Some of these allegations relate to activity on BBC premises in the 1960s and '70s.

"We are horrified by allegations that anything of this sort could have happened at the BBC – or have been carried out by anyone working for the BBC.

"They are allegations of a serious criminal nature which the police have the proper powers to investigate.

"So we have today asked the BBC investigations unit to make direct contact with all the police forces in receipt of allegations and offer to help them investigate these matters and provide full support to any lines of inquiry they wish to pursue."

The investigations unit is a division of the BBC responsible for security and safety matters within the corporation.

It was also revealed that Jersey and Surrey police both investigated accusations made against the entertainer about alleged abuse in two children's homes, but decided there was not enough evidence.

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon said the current affairs show dropped a story about allegations against Savile because it "had not established any institutional failure" on behalf of the police or Crown Prosecution Service.

Mr Rippon said it was "totally untrue" he had come under any pressure to drop the story from within the corporation.