‘Unfortunate’ Savile image in run booklet (From Daily Echo)

‘Unfortunate’ Savile image in run booklet

12:10pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News

Organisers of the Great South Run say a booklet containing Jimmy Savile’s picture was printed before the scandal came to light, the Daily Echo can reveal.
More than 25,000 runners have been sent a brochure ahead of the Southsea race, featuring the disgraced TV presenter’s photograph.
The image appears next to an interview with two runners that have taken part in every race since it began in 1990 - and Savile took part in the very first event.
The former Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It star, who died last year, is at the centre of a major sex abuse scandal.
Detectives at the Metropolitan Police believe that more than 200 youngsters may have fallen victim to Savile – and dozens of people have come forward to say they were sexually abused.
Nova, who organise the Great South Run, say the fact that the pre-race brochure contains Savile’s picture is “unfortunate”.
Communications director David Hart said: “This is the world’s biggest ten-mile running event – we have 25,000 runners and the actually mail-out process takes more than three weeks.
“It was printed and at our distributors five weeks ago.
“In an ideal world, we would have preferred that he wasn’t in it but we weren’t in a position to delay the mail out or rip 25,000 single pages out of a magazine.
“It’s just extremely unfortunate this has happened.
“However we haven’t had any enquiries from participants saying they were unhappy.”
The Great South Run takes place in Southsea on Sunday.