Jaconelli’s tombstone: Mystery solved

The suspected sex offender and Savile associate’s headstone was removed by the family out of respect for the victims, it has been revealed.

The Scarborough News exclusively revealed that the disgraced Alderman’s monument had disappeared from his Woodlands Cemetery grave.

It’s thought to have been removed by the ice cream magnate’s family, in the wake of a damning police report which revealed Jaconelli and Savile allegedly abused dozens of children between them.

But Scarborough Council bosses have now confirmed that the gravestone was taken down by the Jaconelli family.

Jaconelli’s nephew Dennis, who broke years of silence to speak of the family’s shock at the results of the investigation, refused to comment on the removal of the stone.

But Head of Technical Services Andy Skelton said: “The family decided to remove the headstone and arranged its removal.”

The council has refused to comment further whether its removal was permanent or what the reasons were.

There had been speculation that the stone had been taken down amid fears it would be defaced.

But council insider said: “I don’t know if it is permanent but I would assume so. In relation to vandalism, there hasn’t been any to date; I think it was done out of respect for the victims.”

It follows an announcement by North Yorkshire Police that if still alive Jaconelli and Savile would have faced prosecution over allegations involving 35 victims in Scarborough.

Both Jaconelli and Savile are now both lying in unmarked graves, Savile at the top of the cemetery and Jaconelli at the bottom.

Jaconelli’s original gravestone featured a colour picture of the grinning alderman above that of his wife Anna who died 12 years later and was buried alongside her husband.

The inscription referred to Jaconelli by his full title of Alderman and read: “To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die.”