A regional newspaper journalist who became friends with Sir Jimmy Savile after interviewing him on numerous occasions has written a book about his life.

Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Alison Bellamy wrote the star’s authorised biography after becoming a personal friend of the icon during the last decade of his life.

Alison regularly met with Sir Jimmy to listen to his many stories.

The former Top of the Pops and Jim ‘ll Fix It presenter died on 29 October at his Leeds flat, just two days before his 85th birthday.

Said Alison: “The public reaction and sadness, across the whole country, to Sir Jimmy’s death demonstrated just how much he was admired by all kinds of people.

Alison with Sir Jimmy

“The £1 donation from the sale of each book means that everyone who buys a copy is helping to keep Sir Jimmy’s fundraising work alive, and that’s something that I know will make him smile, as he looks down from above.”

In writing the book Alison interviewed Sir Jimmy’s family, his closest group of friends and showbiz personalities.

She also tracked down Jim’ll Fix It participants and the many people he met through charities.

The book which includes never before seen family photographs traces Sir Jimmy’s roller-coaster life from his birth in Leeds in 1926 to his funeral at St Anne’s Catholic Cathedral in Leeds, which brought the city to a standstill.

Readers will discover more about his childhood as the youngest of seven children, to his years as a ‘Bevin Boy’ miner and the near-fatal pit explosion that forced him into a new career in the dance halls of Leeds from where his talent for broadcasting was discovered.

The book is due out in spring and publisher Great Northern Books is now inviting fans to have their name printed in special tribute pages at the back of the book.

To pre-order a copy of the special subscriber edition of the Jimmy Savile biography and to have your name included in the tribute pages within the book go to www.greatnorthernbooks.co.uk or call 01274 735056.

The book will also raise funds for Sir Jimmy’s favourite charities through a £1 donation from every copy sold.