Jimmy Savile's older brother 'most likely' abused several women in 1970s and 1980s

Savile's brother Johnny is thought to have sexually assaulted seven women, including five patients, according to a new report

Jimmy Savile: Asked by the Radio 1 controller about the rumours, he is said to have replied: “That’s all nonsense.” (PA)

Jimmy Savile’s older brother, Johnny, “most likely” sexually assaulted seven women – five of whom were patients – at Springfield hospital in south-west London between 1978 and 1980, according to a separate report published on Thursday.

Johnny Savile, who died in 1998, worked as a recreation officer at Springfield in the late 1970s up to his dismissal in 1980 for gross misconduct, a decision later upheld at an employment tribunal. All the alleged victims, including one visitor and one staff member, were adult females.

Former Springfield staff told investigators Johnny Savile had “unprofessionally friendly relationships” with some colleague and that he tried to use his celebrity by association to gain status in the hospital. Johnny Savile also ran or contributed to the hospital radio station and to have used access to this to try to gain sexual favours from female patients, officials were told.

Investigators found the claims of rape and other sexual assault either did occur or where “likely” or “most likely” to have occurred.

Their report concluded: “While there is scant corroborative evidence for many of the individual allegations, they add up to a credible picture that Johnny Savile misused local celebrity status to exploit vulnerable patients as well as others.”

Investigators found nothing to link Jimmy Savile with Springfield or any other sites now under the control of South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust and any past “impropriety” was down to Johnny alone.

The report said: “Johnny Savile was in a post that gave him access to a very vulnerable patient group and the investigators believe he was able to use his ‘status’ to persuade patients and staff to do what he wanted. Further allegations may therefore come forward, particularly after the publication of this report.”

The Trust said it was committed to helping anyone, staff or member of the public, who had been subject to “inappropriate and unwanted attention from Johnny Savile”.

The Trust said it would review its current policies for volunteers, visitors and VIPs, including celebrities among the 11 recommendations it made.

In the Stoke Mandeville inquiry, also published on Thursday, one of Jimmy Savile’s victims recalled: “Savile’s brother (uncertain which one) used to wander around the Hospital also dressed in a tracksuit. The common view was that he cut a rather pathetic figure.”