The investigation into [[Jonathan King]] and [[Chris Denning]] in the early 2000s led to Operation Arundel, into a suspected pedophile ring of BBC celebrities in the 1970s and 1980s who allegedly procured boys and girls from an underage nightclub called the [[Walton Hop Disco]]. This investigation led to the arrest of another BBC personality in 2003, but the charges against them were subsequently dropped. One suspect in the Operation Arundel investigation who was never arrested or charged had been a good friend and colleague of both Denning and King, BBC Radio One DJ [[Jimmy Savile]]. Nothing came of this though. The case was closed and forgotten about for nearly a decade.[^1] ### Investigation Origins and Legacy Operation Arundel in 2001 was the first formal investigation into a BBC child abuse ring. The investigation arose out of an investigation which evolved from the one into Chris Denning in Prague, which in turn was based on information received from Scotland Yard after [[Warwick Spinks]] went into exile there. After Jimmy Savile's death in October 2011, the floodgate of allegations against him opened. First a few, then many, and finally too many to ignore. This led to an investigation by Metropolitan police called [[Operation Yewtree]], which investigated accusations of a highly organised pedophile ring at the BBC, which not only included its famous personalities, but operational level employees too.[^1] In November 2012, [[Warwick Spinks]] was suddenly extradited back to the UK. This was just weeks into Operation Yewtree and a few months before [[Operation Fernbridge]] was launched into the [[Elm Guest House]]. Perhaps some 'top men' sought a brief word with Spinks, as he was soon released and seen roaming free again back in Prague. When the UK Ministry of Justice was probed for answers, their response was "We do not comment on individuals. Any convicted sex offender who breaches their licence conditions faces spending the duration of their sentence in prison." The patterns and connections identified during Operation Arundel would later prove crucial to understanding the full scope of the BBC pedophile network that was eventually exposed through Operation Yewtree.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Dovey, S. (2023). Eye of the Chickenhawk. United States: Thehotstar.