The Church has said that the late Sir Jimmy Savile would not have been awarded a papal knighthood had it been aware of the allegations of sexual assault made against the BBC entertainer.

A spokesman for the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales said the Church would not have awarded Sir Jimmy the honour if it "had been aware of the allegations and the allegations had proved to be true".

Sir Jimmy was awarded a Knighthood of the Order of St Gregory the Great in 1990. He helped to raise significant funds for the Little Sisters of the Poor, who run a care home in Leeds.

Scotland Yard has said they are pursuing 120 lines of inquiry of allegations of abuse against Sir Jimmy since an ITV documentary last week broadcast stories of women who claimed he abused them.

Above: Sir Jimmy Savile pictured in 2006. Photo: Jmb