Jimmy Savile: Scotland Yard investigated sex attack by Savile at BBC TV Centre in 1980s Meanwhile Cmdr Spindler said his team was now dealing with around 300 alleged victims and warned living culprits: "We will come for you." He said officers are following more than 400 lines of inquiry linked to the victims, of whom all except two are women. He said investigators have so far spoken to 130 people who have come forward, and 114 allegations of crime have emerged. Praising victims for their courage in coming forward, he encouraged anyone else who is wondering whether to speak out to do so. That's the type of people who are the most vulnerable in our society, and they do need to be given a voice. I think what's happened with this inquiry is that others have clearly demonstrated that they do have a voice and that they will be heard. He also warned current abuse offenders that police "will come for them." Cmdr Spindler said: "While Britain reflects on how Savile was able to hide in plain sight, I think it's quite important that we focus on what's happening today in our society and our activities in the coming weeks hopefully will be a stark warning to any men out there today who think they can exploit their positions of power and influence and abuse children and young people in Britain. I really do want them to take heed, and tell them that we will come for them. So far, the NSPCC has had 439 calls about sexual abuse in the past three weeks, a 60% rise on what they would normally receive. Two out of five have been referred to social services and the police. Today Lord Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust, has said the "tsunami of filth" that has emerged over Savile's child abuse had caused "terrible damage" to the BBC. He said the governing body's priority was to "get to the bottom of what's happened" for the sake of victims who have been "marooned for years" with no-one believing them. Speaking on Radio 4"s The World at One, he also carried on his spat with the Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, saying the BBC was "not an agency of the government" and "it's important for people to remember that." He said: "Our main concern has to be for the victims of abuse and worse who have been marooned for years, trying to tell their stories and not being believed, including, it seems, by the BBC, and to deal with the terrible damage to the BBC." He defended the performance on Tuesday of the BBC's Director General, George Entwistle, before a committee of MPs, saying: "If there had been a combination of Benjamin Disraeli and Mr Gladstone in front of the committee they would have had a pretty tough job. It was a very, very difficult baptism of fire for a new Director General, this great tsunami of filth broke over him 11 days into the job. Following Mr Entwistle's appearance before the culture, media and sport committee, the Culture Secretary, Maria Miller, wrote to Mr Patten saying the public still had "very real concerns" about the scandal and urging him to make sure three independent inquiries reporting to the BBC Trust were as thorough as possible. Mr Patten sent back a testy reply suggesting to the minister that he was sure she would not want to "question the independence of the BBC." Today he defended his strongly-worded letter, saying: "It seemed quite important for people to remember that the BBC is independent, it's not an agent of the government, and it's important for people to remember that." Mr Patten admitted he had not read newspaper cuttings sent to him in January and February which broke the news that a Newsnight investigation into Savile had been dropped in December last year. The cuttings were "buried" among around 150 other cuttings about the BBC sent to him every day, he said, and he only found out about the Newsnight affair at the end of September, as ITV prepared to broadcast its own investigation into the Savile. Asked if it was wrong for the Director General, George Entwistle, to heap blame for the Newsnight affair on the programme's editor, Peter Rippon, he said: "We get hammered on both sides of the street. We get hammered if you don't question someone's editorial decision and you get hammered if you do. The number of possible sexual abuse victims being investigated under Operation Yewtree is now understood to be approaching 300. Police have searched Savile's cottage in the Scottish Highlands after fears he used the home to abuse victims.