British police made mistakes over decades in their investigation of sex abuse allegations against late BBC TV presenter Jimmy Savile, a report released Tuesday said.

The report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said not only did police around the country fail to "join the dots," but policies made it difficult for victims to come forward to report the crimes.

Savile, who hosted popular children's TV programs including "Jim'll Fix It" and "Top of the Pops," was a household name in Britain for decades. He was also well known for his charitable work, having raised millions of pounds, and was awarded a knighthood. He died in October 2011 at age 84.