A Jim’ll Fix It medal sitting in pride of place at the National Media Musuem has been removed hours after it was revealed that Sir Jimmy Savile’s headstone had been dismantled on the instructions of his family.

Yesterday, the headstone on Savile’s grave was removed by Bradford funeral directors Joseph A Hey and Son in the early hours of the morning after his family requested it be taken away out of “respect to public opinion”.

The decision to remove the Jim’ll Fix It medal, one of many issued by Savile during his BBC TV series of the same name, was removed by the museum after the headstone was taken down.

In a statement the museum said: “In light of the recent allegations relating to Sir Jimmy Savile, the vandalism of another object on public display elsewhere, and his family’s decision to remove the headstone from his grave, we will be removing the Jim’ll Fix It badge from display in the museum.

“We will make a decision on the future arrangement for this item in due course.”

A number of memorials to Savile have already been removed, including an inscription on the wall at Leeds Civic Hall in recognition of his charity work, and a street sign in Scarborough. A plaque outside his former home has been defaced.

Funeral director Robert Morphet, of Joseph A Hey and Son, who organised Savile’s funeral and oversaw the dismantling of the headstone, which will go to landfill, said: “On Tuesday the family contacted me and said they’d thought very carefully about the course of action with regard to the stone.

“They had decided that in order to protect the dignity and sanctity of this cemetery it was appropriate to remove the stone.”

He said the stone was removed in three pieces and taken away on a lorry.

“We’ve taken it back to our yard in Leeds. We’ll grind the inscription off and we will dispose of the memorial. It’ll be broken up and just go to landfill.

“When we erected his headstone not three weeks ago I expected it to be here forever. I never thought it’d be removed, let alone so quickly.”

Police believe the former presenter could have abused up to 25 victims over 40 years.

Scotland Yard has formally recorded eight criminal allegations against the former Top Of The Pops presenter so far in its investigation.