Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi: Jimmy Savile invited me to 'sex party' in his dressing room

Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi has described how Jimmy Savile invited him to a ‘sex party’ when he was just 18-years-old in 1968.

The band’s breakthrough single ‘Pictures of Matchstick Men’ had recently entered the Top Ten when Jimmy Savile approached the group backstage at a Top of the Pops recording.

Inviting Rossi to “come and see me tarts” Savile suggested he return later when “there’s going to be something…some f***ing tarts we’ve got in”.

Rossi told the Daily Mirror that he declined Savile’s invitation, telling him to “get out of it”.

Status Quo appeared on Top of the Pops several times over the years but Rossi says the band always kept their distance from the “very odd” Savile because there were rumours about his sexual behaviour even then.

Rossi said: “'I keep hearing ‘how did he cover it up for so long?’ I heard he paid a lot of people off… but where did he get the money?”

He also went on to describe rumours of a ‘Leeds mafia’ who would intimidate victims and witnesses to keep quiet about Savile’s sexual abuse.

Rossi’s revelations come on the same day as Savile’s youngest alleged victim came forward to sue the late broadcaster’s £4.3 million estate.

Aged just eight at the time of the abuse, the unnamed woman claims Savile abused her at Stoke Mandeville hospital while she was recovering from an operation in 1986.

Liz Dux, from law firm Slater & Gordon, said of the then eight-year-old victim: 'This was a little girl who went in for treatment and came out an abuse victim. She should have been protected.'

Savile was allegedly free to roam the Buckinghamshire as he pleased, using his position as a charitable donor to sexually abuse sick children.

And also today, 52-year-old builder Craig Bivens came forward to say he was worried that the disgraced broadcaster might be his father, after finding out his mother had a five-month affair with Savile in 1960.

Mr Bivens told The Sun “I don't want to be the boy of a kiddie fiddler…I don't want to be his son.”

Aged 18 at the time of the affair, Mr Bivens’ mother Liz Boothe said she believes she was handpicked by Savile’s bouncer, who stole a photograph from her bag to show his boss.

She said she was “disgusted” at the thought that “mean and arrogant” Savile could be the father of her son, adding “Let's be honest, I only went out with someone looking like he did because of the people I could meet.”