A BOURNEMOUTH MP has landed a job on the committee investigating the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, has been appointed by the Conservatives to the culture, media and sport select committee.

The committee has made headlines in recent days for interrogating BBC director-general George Entwistle over the Jimmy Savile affair.

Its business in coming months is likely to include the outcome of the Leveson Inquiry into press standards.

Mr Burns said: “I’m a passionate advocate that the law makers, parliament, must not overreact to some bad eggs doing some bad things.

“I’m a fundamental and unwavering advocate of a free press. I do not want to see state regulation of the press.”

But he said there could be a role for stronger self-regulation, with the press having to accept binding judgements.

The committee questioned George Entwistle over the decision by the editor of Newsnight to drop a report on allegations against Jimmy Savile at a time when the BBC was planning a tribute to the old presenter.

“My own view is here was a bad man who is now dead and a lot of these events happened a very long time ago and it would be very hard to prove very much,” said Mr Burns.

“I think if the decision was taken that Newsnight should not broadcast something that they knew to be because that would then result in somebody having to re-arrange the Christmas schedules, then I think somebody’s got very serious questions to answer.”

But he said the Newsnight issue could turn out to be a “minor part in the great scheme of things” compared Savile’s abuse itself.

Mr Burns was a parliamentary aide to the Northern Ireland secretary before quitting earlier this year because he disagreed with the government’s stance on House of Lords reform.

Dorset Police officers help Met uncover truth about TV presenter

POLICE in Dorset have confirmed they are helping their colleagues in the Met with the investigation into disgraced TV star Jimmy Savile.

They revealed detectives is co-operating with the national Operation Yewtree but said further details will remain under wraps for operational reasons.

The Metropolitan Police are dealing with hundreds of claims of sex abuse from across the UK.

“Dorset Police is co-operating with the investigation into historic sex abuse, Operation Yewtree,” said a spokesman.

“Any relevant information has been referred to Met investigators and Dorset detectives will, of course, continue to assist the Metropolitan Police accordingly.”

Scotland Yard is currently investigating allegations from at least 200 victims and checking upwards of 400 lines of inquiry.

Savile spent much of his time in Bournemouth and once owned the Norwegian Wood cafe.

When news of the allegations broke the current owner of the popular town centre cafe, Lindsey Webb, removed menus which stated that Savile once owned the business.

She told the Daily Echo Savile continued to visit the cafe until a few years ago.

He also worked at nightclubs nearby and is thought to have owned the entire block which houses Norwegian Wood when it was a nightclub complex during the 1960s and 70s.

Savile worked as a public relations consultant for the Maison Royale/Le Cardinal nightclub complex in Glen Fern Road from 1973 until 1978.