LONDON: Internet speculation was circulating on Saturday after a BBC news program embroiled in the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal aired a report in which two men claimed that they had been abused by a top politician.

The report on Newsnight did not name the man but said that he was a leading Conservative politician from Margaret Thatcher’s time as prime minister, from 1979 to 1990.

The claims centered around abuse at children’s homes in north Wales, which was the subject of an inquiry in 2000.

Steve Meesham, who claimed that he was repeatedly attacked during his time in care, was asked how many times he was abused by the politician.

“Off my head I wouldn’t give an exact number because obviously I’m going back many years but certainly more than a dozen,” he told News-night. “Cars would pull up outside the home and you were taken.”

It was alleged that the abuse took place in the late 1970s.

Another alleged victim, who was not named, did not appear on camera and whose words were spoken by an actor, said that he was abused by the same politician, who took him out in his car and a sex act took place.

The politician was described as a shadowy figure of high public standing but the Newsnight report said there was simply not enough to go on “to name names”.

The unidentified politician told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that the allegations were “totally untrue” and he had threatened legal action if his name appeared in the story.

The BBC has been plunged into crisis over allegations that the late Savile, one of its top presenters from the 1960s to the 1980s, abused hundreds of youngsters, with Scotland Yard considering him one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders.

An independent review is taking place at the BBC into the decision last December to drop a Newsnight item on Savile containing allegations of abuse.

The review will look at whether there were any management failings surrounding the decision to axe the probe.

Meanwhile The Sun newspaper’s front page on Saturday claimed that three BBC staff tried to rape an 18-year-old male television extra as a popular comedy actor, who died in the 1980s, performed a sex act. The alleged victim has given a statement to the police.