British comedian arrested on suspicion of sexual offences

Updated January 03, 2013 14:02:39

British comedian Jim Davidson has denied any wrongdoing after he was arrested by police involved with the Jimmy Savile investigation.

London's Metropolitan Police said officers from Operation Yewtree, set up last year in the wake of claims of abuse against the late BBC presenter Savile, had detained two men in their 50s on suspicion of sexual offences.

One man, aged 53, was arrested in Hampshire, southern England, and another man, aged 59, was arrested in west London two hours later.

Both men were taken to a London police station and later released on bail until March.

Davidson's solicitor said his client faced two claims.

"Two women have made allegations in respect of Jim that date back approximately 25 years," Henri Brandman said in a statement.

"The complainants were then in their mid 20s.


Scotland Yard later stressed the arrests were not connected to the specific allegations made against Savile.



According to UK reports, he was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport shortly after flying in to take part in this year's Celebrity Big Brother show.


The latest arrests, the ninth and tenth of the operation, come under the third strand, police said.


The scandal has snowballed since claims that Savile molested underage girls were aired in a television documentary, leading to the arrests of singer Gary Glitter and comedian Freddie Starr.


Topics: law-crime-and-justice, television, comedy-humour, sexual-offences, united-kingdom, england

First posted January 03, 2013 11:01:38