LONDON: The head of Britain’s BBC told hostile lawmakers on Tuesday that allegations of sexual abuse against one of its former stars were a grave matter but denied bosses had tried to cover up one of the biggest crises to hit the publicly funded broadcaster.“This is a gravely serious matter and one cannot look back at it with anything other than horror,” General Director George Entwistle told lawmakers on parliament’s Culture and Media Committee.

The British broadcaster is facing one of the biggest crises in its long history over accusations it axed its own investigation into sexual abuse by former presenter Jimmy Savile as part of a wider cover-up. While Savile was little known beyond Britain, the eccentric, cigar-chomping one-time DJ he was one of the most recognised personalities on British television for decades, hosting prime-time shows.

Entwistle, who only took charge at the 90-year-old media organisation in August, appeared before the committee just a day after Prime Minister David Cameron said the BBC had serious questions to answer. Police are investigating allegations that Savile, once one of Britain’s most celebrated TV stars who died last year, abused women, including girls as young as 12, over a 60-year period with some of the attacks taking place on BBC premises.

Looking generally composed, Entwistle told the lawmakers the BBC had taken longer to address the growing crisis than it should have but had been at pains to avoid causing any damage to the police investigation.

Asked if it was likely that sexual abuse of children and young women had been widespread at the BBC, he said: “I don’t yet have enough of a picture to know whether it was endemic.

“The key question for me is what was the extent of it and the only possible way to go about answering that question is to look as deeply and broadly as we would have to do to find out.”—Reuters