Ex Scarborough mayor Peter Jaconelli stripped of honours
A former mayor of Scarborough who was friends with Jimmy Savile has been stripped of his civic honours by the town council after being accused of child sex abuse.
Peter Jaconelli was mayor of the seaside resort in the 1970s.
North Yorkshire Police said a number of witnesses had come forward with allegations of abuse.
Relatives of Mr Jaconelli have said they were not aware of any evidence that he committed any sexual crimes.
Ice cream business
Scarborough Borough Council voted to remove his honorary alderman and mayor status.
It said his name would be taken off of the honours boards at the town hall and "that all reference to Peter Jaconelli as a former mayor cease".
Mr Jaconneli, who ran an ice cream business, was described by police as a friend of Jimmy Savile, who also lived in the town.
The force has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission regarding its handling of child sex abuse allegations against Savile and Mr Jaconelli, who died in 1999.
A police spokesman said: "Such is the nature of the evidence that, if he were alive today, Peter Jaconelli would have been interviewed under caution and a file of evidence would have been submitted for consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service."