Reeling Director-General George Entwistle was under mounting pressure last night when it emerged the BBC is probing NINE current staff over sex allegations. This came after angry MPs grilled Mr Entwistle yesterday over the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal and ordered the dithering BBC boss to “get a grip”. Insiders say that celebrities are among the staff being investigated over the claims. A BBC spokesman said: “As a result of the allegations about Jimmy Savile and subsequent contact from staff, former staff and members of the public, we are currently aware of nine allegations of sexual harassment, assault or inappropriate conduct regarding current staff or contributors. “Some of these cases have been passed to the police where appropriate and we are reviewing others within our normal HR procedures.” A BBC source said the accusers have been “steadily coming forward” since the Savile probe began and bosses are bracing themselves for even more claims to be made. The insider added: “The allegations are right across the corporation and they involve some famous faces. These complaints relate to recent and historic incidents.” The BBC would not comment on the claims that its stars are involved in the investigations. Reeling: BBC Director General George Entwistle gives evidence PA Mr Entwistle was left floundering yesterday when MPs asked why he had pressed ahead with a Christmas tribute to Savile despite knowing the BBC’s Newsnight show was conducting an investigation into the Jim’ll Fix It star. Mr Entwistle admitted it had been a “catastrophic mistake” to axe the probe and laid much of the blame on Newsnight editor Peter Rippon, who has now been forced to step down from his role. And in a further blow to Mr Rippon, it was revealed that Newsnight reporter Liz MacKean wrote an email saying Mr Rippon undermined the Savile report by saying: “Well, it was 40 years ago... "The girls were teenagers, not too young... they weren’t the worst kind of sexual offences.” Appearing before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, Mr Entwistle said there have been “serious allegations” made after the Savile expose. The heat was turned up on Mr Entwistle as he told MPs of his “horror” at the “disgusting behaviour” of pervert Savile. Mr Entwistle denied that sex abuse was “endemic” at the BBC but he admitted he had no idea how many complaints had been lodged with the Corporation since the 60s. Nor did he know who had been responsible for allowing girls to be “bussed in” from children’s homes to watch one of Savile’s BBC shows, Top of the Pops, and be taken backstage. Email revelation: Peter Rippon Rex Tory MP Philip Davies said the director-general had a “lamentable lack of knowledge” about the scandal. Committee chairman John Whittingdale added: “This has not been handled well by the BBC.” Other MPs told Mr Entwistle to “get a grip” and said he had showed an “extraordinary lack of curiosity” in December last year when he failed to act on a tip-off from Helen Boaden, the Director of BBC News, that Newsnight was investigating Savile. Mr Entwistle, who was head of BBC Vision at the time, told MPs he did not ask for any details about the probe because he did not want to interfere. He admitted that he now regretted the decision to broadcast the tributes to Savile. Mr Entwistle told MPs: “There’s no question what Jimmy Savile did and the way the BBC behaved... the culture and practices of the BBC seems to allow Jimmy Savile to do what he did, will raise questions of trust for us and reputation for us. “It is a gravely serious matter and one cannot look back at it with anything but horror that his activities went on as long as they did undetected. "Of course, that is a matter of grave regret to me.” He added the inquiry by Nick Pollard, ex-head of Sky News, into why the Newsnight investigation was axed is expected to report back in weeks. The director-general said it was clear there had been a “significant breakdown of communication” between Newsnight’s reporters and management. Sick: TV and radio star Savile BBC He also said it was “deeply regrettable” that a blog published under Mr Rippon’s name turned out to be inaccurate. The blog suggested the Newsnight inquiry was mainly into the handling of a Surrey police probe into Savile, who died last October aged 84, and appeared to indicate that reporters had not turned up significant new information. Mr Entwistle said he was “very disappointed indeed” to learn that the blog was incorrect. He added: “What I relied upon is something that in my BBC career I’ve always been able to rely upon, which is the editor of a programme having a full grip and understanding of an investigation they were in charge of. "In this case that doesn’t appear to have been the case, and that is disappointing.” Mr Rippon, who has been stood down from his post while the Pollard inquiry is ongoing, is now expected to appear before MPs to explain his decision to axe the Savile report. Tory MP Therese Coffey was already on the offensive yesterday when she branded an email sent by Mr Rippon last November as “chilling”. The email about Savile’s victims who had spoken to Newsnight said “our sources so far are just the women”. Mr Entwistle said the culture at the BBC had changed since the 70s but “not as much as it should”. After the hearing, Mr Entwistle refused to answer questions about whether he would resign. Culture Secretary Maria Miller last night said the Savile scandal has raised serious concerns about public trust in the BBC. Ms Miller said in a letter to Lord Patten, the BBC Trust chairman: “Following today’s select committee hearing and the revelations that have emerged about the factual inaccuracies in the BBC’s explanation about why the Savile item in Newsnight was pulled, very real concerns are being raised about public trust and confidence in the BBC.” The letter added: “In all our conversations we have talked about the paramount importance of full public trust in the BBC’s inquiries and agreed it is essential licence fee payers can be assured they are being conducted thoroughly and with the full co-operation of the BBC, in line with the Trust’s duty to ‘ensure the BBC observes high standards of openness’.” She said the inquiries must be able to “follow the evidence wherever it takes them”.

They died from injuries sustained while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province

A Royal Marine and a soldier have died today after being injured while on patrol in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said tonight.

They died from injuries sustained while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province.

The Royal Marine is from 40 Commando Royal Marines and the soldier from 3 Medical Regiment.

Next of kin have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Major Laurence Roche, said: “I am extremely sorry to announce the deaths of a Royal Marine from 40 Commando and a soldier from 3 Medical Regiment serving with Task Force Helmand.

“This is dreadful news for all of us serving in Afghanistan. Our sincere condolences go to their families, friends and colleagues at this time of grief.”