The new owners of Jimmy Savile’s former penthouse in Leeds say they are planning to demolish it and build a new apartment in its place.

The Roundhay Park property, which went on the market in September for £325,000, was bought for £250,000 by a couple living in the next-door flat.

Malcolm and Angela Statman said the disgraced broadcaster’s former home was in a “terrible condition”.

Savile allegedly abused hundreds of adults and children.

He lived in the penthouse apartment at Lake View Court in Roundhay Park for more than 30 years, until his death in October 2011 at the age of 84.

‘Very brave’

The property went on the market weeks before allegations of abuse by Savile were first revealed in an ITV documentary.

The Statmans bought the property through their company CXI 92.

They told the BBC: “We are going to demolish it in the next six months to two years because of the terrible, terrible condition it is in… and completely rebuild it before selling it or possibly using it as a rental property.”

The area’s Labour MP Fabian Hamilton said: “Malcolm and Angela Statman, who I know actually, are very brave to do this, because you can imagine that it’s going to be quite hard actually even once it’s rebuilt to sell it off because of the history.

“I’m glad that (they) have taken this on as I can’t think of better people to do a good job frankly. They will do a decent job, but it will always have been Jimmy Savile’s flat.”

Savile’s £4m estate has been frozen by its executor, NatWest bank.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-21602207