IAN HART: Jimmy Savile saga, website ‘trolls’ and honours

The Jimmy Savile saga has many different facets.

First and foremost the people now brave enough to speak out about their alleged abuse in order to gain some closure must be uppermost in everyone’s thoughts.

There are also another, quite large group of people, almost forgotten throughout this whole affair. Spare a thought for the hundreds of people who took part in the Jim’ll Fix It programme from 1974-1995, prior to three weeks ago I’d imagine many a sideboard or mantelpiece featured the famous badge accompanied by some happy memories, but I wonder how many badge holders now have their trophy on show?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But there also been an almost unrelated wave of hysteria fuelled by the untraceable nature of the internet.

On Facebook there’s a page dedicated to the old boys of my senior school.

Over the last few years it’s been fun getting in contact with people, some of whom you haven’t seen for over 30 years. But in the last few days our group moderator has encountered a very serious and dangerous situation when a group member complete with picture has gone of FB and made serious allegations.

Only on further investigation and by getting the police involved it has transpired the person making the allegations is an internet “troll” who has hacked an account.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thankfully, everything has now been put right, but that hasn’t stopped a situation where innocent men have been subject to what could turn out to be life-changing allegations. When it’s abused the internet can be the most dangerous place on earth...

Very pleased to pick the paper up last week and see a number of former councillors had been honoured by the borough. Congratulations to former mayors Barlow and Doyle, who now both become honorary alderman, but I was especially to see Nigel Green, son of the late Reg, picking up a posthumous honour for his father. I make no secret of the fact that Reg was a very loyal friend to me, regardless of the differences in our politics!

Related topics: