Steve Coogan has been photographed dressed as Jimmy Savile on set of forthcoming BBC drama

It's given us the shivers...

Steve Coogan has been pictured dressed as Jimmy Savile walking the streets of Bolton. The images - which hit the internet on Monday (October 11) - were taken on the Northern set of Coogan's new BBC drama The Reckoning which focuses on the disgraced TV host. Taken through the window of a building, early images show the I'm Alan Partridge star dressed in an eccentric court jester outfit. He's standing next to a woman in an old fashioned nursing outfit, suggesting hospital scenes are currently being shot. https://twitter.com/NewsForAllUK/status/1447571466287976449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1447571466287976449%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nme.com%2Fen_au%2Fnews%2Ftv%2Ffirst-image-released-of-steve-coogan-as-jimmy-savile-3067821 Jimmy Savile died in 2011 but following his death dozens of allegations of sexual abuse and rape were levelled at the former Top of The Pops presenter prompting the creation of Operation Yewtree which was set up to investigate historic sexual assault claims. Many of Savile's victims were in hospitals across the country and regularly interacted with the now-infamous presenter because of his volunteer-status at the Leeds General Infirmary and Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

One hospital, Stoke Mandeville, conducted a report which revealed how Savile had "virtually unrestricted access" to patients throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Savile was found to have molested at least 72 children from the age of eight and above by an inquiry following his death.

Speaking about his role in The Reckoning, Coogan said: "Neil McKay has written an intelligent script tackling sensitively an horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told."

Related links: 

• Steve Coogan to play Jimmy Savile in 'sensitive' drama
• A statue of Alan Partridge has been erected in Norwich
• Steve Coogan on the future of Alan Partridge, greed and the BBC