BBC covered up a second 'national treasure' child abuser known as Uncle Dick, claims veteran reporter John Simpson

• Veteran reporter exposes another BBC cover-up of a second paedophile
• 'Radio presenter would take children into BBC toilets and abuse them after winning competition to meet him'
• 'If parents complained, Director General's office would write back saying he was a much-loved figure'
• 'Abuser was so famous he gave tours to the Queen'
• Harriet Harman reiterated calls for independent inquiry

John Simpson, pictured, wrote about the unnamed paedophile in his autobiography, claiming he abused children in the BBC toilets

BBC executives covered up a second paedophile who abused children in the toilets at the Corporation's studios, a leading journalist claimed.
John Simpson said a radio presenter, at the time one of the biggest names at the BBC, preyed upon youngsters after they won competitions to tour the studios and meet him.
But when Simpson, who has worked at the BBC for more than 40 years, tried to expose the predatory paedophile after his death, bosses called him an ‘idiot’ and instead told to praise the star in his obituary.
Veteran war correspondent Simpson made the claims in his 1999 autobiography Strange Places, Questionable People, first published in 1998, where he refers to the abuser as simply 'Uncle Dick'.
But in the light of the Jimmy Savile scandal they will make uncomfortable re-reading for the Corporation.
Days ago a Jim'll Fix It director claimed he made several attempts to expose disgraced Jimmy Savile to the BBC but had been ignored by bosses.
David Nicolson, 67, said he reported Savile decades ago when he caught the star having sex with a 15 or 16-year-old girl in his dressing room. Yet he was told by bosses: ‘That’s Jimmy’ and ‘that’s the way it goes’.

Claims that bosses covered up child abuse spanning 40 years by a second paedophile, said to be 'a children's favourite', will cast further doubt on the practices at the Corporation.
He claims the BBC's attempt to silence the claims went as high up as the then Director General, as reported by The Sun.

It is the second BBC child abuser to have been revealed in less than a month after Jimmy Savile, pictured, was alleged to have abused children over six decades

The radio presenter he claims abused children was one of the BBC's biggest names from the 1920s until his death in 1967.
He is alleged have taken children, who won competitions, into the BBC toilets and abused them.
During his stardom he was so famous he reportedly gave tours of the studios to royalty, including the Queen.

A TV director reported Savile to BBC bosses decades ago - when he caught the star having sex with a 15 or 16-year-old girl in his dressing room

Simpson - who today declined to comment on his revelation - said he heard of the allegations when Uncle Dick - whose real name is not known - died.
He had been asked to write an obituary for the presenter and was given the details of the abuse by a female colleague of the star, who he referred to as 'Auntie Gladys'.
He said she referred to the man as 'an evil old b******' and added: 'I hope he died in agony.'
He wrote in his book: 'Week after week, children from all over the country would win competitions to visit the BBC and meet Uncle Dick.
'He would welcome them, show them around, give them lunch, then take them to the gents and interfere with them.
'If parents complained, the Director General's office would write saying the nation wouldn't understand such an accusation against a much-loved figure.'
Simpson said he told his editor what he had learned but was instead told to praise the star.

A senior journalist told him: 'You stupid, unthinking, ignorant, destructive young idiot'.
His boss then dictated: 'Auntie Gladys told the BBC tonight that she was deeply saddened by Uncle Dick's death. He had a wonderful way with children.
'That's how you do an obit.'
The BBC said: 'The information will be shared with the BBC investigations unit and the police and we will look into these allegations as part of the Jimmy Savile review.'
Meanwhile Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman reiterated her party's calls for an independent inquiry.

The famous personality, referred to as Uncle Dick, allegedly abused children in the toilets at the BBC studios

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think what we need to do is get to the truth.
'Clearly something terrible went on for many years across a number of institutions and I think we need to learn the lessons.'
Challenged that it was the job of the police to investigate possible criminal prosecutions, she pointed out that Savile was dead and 'therefore will not be able to stand trial'.
'One of the really key lessons that we need to learn from is why did so many people feel they couldn't complain, that they weren't able to complain, and those that did complain, why weren't they believed?'
She said it was 'a problem' that there were a number of different inquiries at different institutions because 'we are looking at one man who manipulated the whole system'.
'It's the Government's responsibility to say this is very serious and has to be investigated independently,' she said.
'The perpetrator is dead but the institutions need to learn the lessons of why this could go on for so long, and that needs one independent inquiry.'