ELVIS impersonator Billy Gallacher started a mission to collect autographs from people who had met 'The King' by meeting Jimmy Savile in the early 1970s.

While visiting his mum at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the Downley resident realised the radio DJ worked as a volunteer in the canteen.

He had a photograph of Sir Jimmy meeting Elvis in America, cut from a magazine, and took it to the hospital for Jimmy to sign.

Billy, 66, said: “He was chuffed when I brought the photo in. He took it into the kitchen because the girls didn't believe that he'd actually met Elvis. And the next weekend he mentioned it on his radio show.”

The photo was taken after the future Jim'll Fix It presenter went to America, unannounced, to present Elvis with a Gold Disk for 'It's Now or Never'.

Billy, a dad-of-three, added: “It was probably 1971 or 72 that I got him to sign it and I've had it ever since.

“It was the first of a collection of signatures of people who have met Elvis. I thought about it after Elvis died and I've got others including Glen Campbell and Suzannah Leigh.... I'm on the trail of Tom Jones.

“I've got an Elvis room and it's on the wall with lots of other things. I think my family think I'm a bit off the wall about it but it keeps me happy.”

Sir Jimmy Savile raised about £20 million for the creation of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville.