Former pop star Gary Glitter arrested

One-time pop star Gary Glitter was arrested as part of an investigation into allegations of child sex abuse by the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile, the BBC said.

It was the first arrest to be reported in a scandal that has already damaged the reputation of the publicly-funded BBC and the legacy of Savile, a former DJ who was one of the broadcaster's top show hosts and a dedicated charity fundraiser.

The head of the BBC's governing body said on Sunday the broadcaster's reputation was on the line, and promised to get to the bottom of the scandal.

A police statement said a man in his 60s had been picked up just after 7 am British Time on suspicion of sexual offences in the investigation into "Savile and others". The statement did not name the man and a spokesman declined further comment.

The BBC and Sky News identified the man picked up from his London home as Glitter, a 68-year-old who was popular as a glam-rock singer in the 1970s. Footage on both broadcasters showed Glitter, who was not handcuffed, leaving an apartment in central London and being driven away.

Glitter, born Paul Gadd, shot to fame in the early 1970s with the hit "Rock and Roll". He has long been dogged by child sex accusations. He was convicted of abusing two girls in Vietnam in 2006 and has been jailed in that country.

Allegations that Savile sexually abused young girls for decades first emerged in an expose on the TV channel ITV. Since then, police say some 300 victims had come forward.

The victims' allegations include claims from one woman that she had seen Glitter having sex with an underage girl in Savile's BBC dressing room while Savile abused another girl.