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Ken Cunningham, who was chief executive from 1994 to 2000, says he wasn't prepared to let Jimmy Savile tell him how to manage the hospital telling 5 live "he [Savile] wanted to do that to some extent".

Mr Cunningham explained that he tried to get a non executive to be a trustee for Savile, to make sure the money being donated was used for patients after Savile had used trust funds to "buy favour".

When asked how Savile responded, Mr Cunningham told 5 live, "when I challenged him on his use of charity money or smoking in the hospital he said, 'I can do what I like, I have friends in high places'."

Mr Cunningham stated that he had no inkling about Savile's sexual crimes, saying that "it was a great privilege to work at Stoke Mandeville...for its reputation to be damaged in any way by the behaviour of him is a terrible shame".

A report into the scandal yesterday said the hospital trust had tackled Savile's power and influence there "head on" from 1991, and managed to "diminish his authority" - but it took until 1999 to "resolve the situation".

Jimmy Savile abused more than 60 people at Stoke Mandeville hospital from 1968-1992.

This clip is originally from 5 live Breakfast on February 27th 2015.

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