West Yorkshire force did not protect Savile

LONDON (AP) -- The West Yorkshire police conclude in a new report that the force did not protect the late BBC entertainer Jimmy Savile despite their long association with a man connected to hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse after his death.

The report published Friday concludes that there is no evidence that he was protected from arrest or prosecution as a result of his friendships with officers, some of whom met regularly for gatherings dubbed the "Friday Morning Club."

The report says before his death, Savile was seen as a celebrity fundraiser and harmless eccentric.

Savile's reputation took a dive after his death in 2011 at age 84, when hundreds of witnesses and victims came forward accusing him of sexual abuse. Police have since described him as a serial sexual predator.