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Max Clifford arrested on suspicion of sexual offences Max Clifford arrested on suspicion of sexual offences
(about 4 hours later)
Max Clifford, one of the best known publicists in Britain, has been arrested by officers investigating sexual abuse claims against Jimmy Savile and others. Max Clifford, one of the best-known publicists in Britain, has been arrested by officers investigating sexual abuse claims against Jimmy Savile and others.
The Metropolitan police said on Thursday morning that officers working on Operation Yewtree arrested "a man in his sixties" at his Surrey home at 7.04am "on suspicion of sexual offences". Officers working on Operation Yewtree arrested Clifford at his Surrey home at 7.40am "on suspicion of sexual offences". The 69-year-old was taken to a central London police station for questioning and later bailed.
Clifford, 69, is the arrestee. He has been taken to a central London police station for questioning. He is the fifth person to be arrested since the investigation was launched following revelations that Savile had abused underage girls both at the BBC and at several hospitals, including Stoke Mandeville and Leeds General Infirmary.
He is the fifth person to be arrested since the investigation was launched following revelations that Savile had abused underage girls both at the BBC and several hospitals including Stoke Mandeville and Leeds General Infirmary. Speaking as he left the police station, Clifford said: "These allegations are damaging and completely untrue.
Clifford's lawyer, Charlotte Harris, said: "Max Clifford is being interviewed by police. He will assist police as best he can with their inquiries. When we are in a position to provide further information we will." "On a personal level, they are very distressing for myself, my wife, my family and loved ones.
Scotland Yard refused to comment on the identity of the arrestee, but in a statement said: "The individual falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'others'." "Anyone who really knew me all those years ago and those who have known me since will have no doubt that I would never act in the way that I have today been accused."
The singer Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and DJ Dave Lee Travis are three of those previously arrested and bailed in the Met probe. The former BBC producer Wilfred De'Ath was also arrested and bailed. The Savile allegations have caused major embarrassment for the BBC, which has been accused of failing to report on investigations into Savile's alleged crimes, and last month led to the resignation of the BBC's director general, George Entwistle.
They were classified as falling under the "others" strand of the investigation. A man in his 80s was interviewed under caution and released on 29 November. The Pollard inquiry into BBC executives' handling of the axed BBC Newsnight investigation into Jimmy Savile is to be published in the week of 17 December. Headed by former Sky News boss Nick Pollard, it is looking into whether there were management failings in the BBC's handling of the aborted Newsnight inquiry in late 2011 into alleged sexual abuse by Savile.
There are three strands to Operation Yewtree: "Savile", "Savile and others" and "others". Last month Clifford publicly questioned where the police inquiry might lead, and said a lot of former stars had contacted him saying they were worried about being dragged into the investigation because they had appeared on Top of the Pops or Jim'll Fix It and had posed for photographs with girls and Savile.
"Savile and others" relates to alleged offences in which the former Jim'll Fix It host was suspected of being involved; "others" relates to allegations being investigated by Operation Yewtree, but do not involve Savile. "It is a situation which could easily turn into a witch-hunt. A lot of big stars are frightened," he told ITV's Daybreak. "Where is it going to end?"
Clifford, who built his PR business Max Clifford Associates out of celebrity-kiss-and-tell deals with the tabloids, has represented some of the country's best known stars including Simon Cowell, cyclist Chris Hoy and Jade Goody. "I hope [the police] concentrate on finding people like Jimmy Savile who were manipulating girls."
When the Savile revelations first emerged, Clifford said dozens of big-name stars from the 1960s and 1970s had contacted him because they were "frightened to death" they were going to be implicated. The singer Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and DJ Dave Lee Travis are three of those previously arrested and bailed in the Met inquiry. The former BBC producer Wilfred De'Ath was also arrested and bailed.
They too were classified as falling under the "others" strand of the investigation. Another man aged in his 80s was interviewed under caution and released on 29 November.
There are three strands to Operation Yewtree: "Savile", "Savile and others", and "others".
The "Savile and others" strand relates to alleged offences in which the former Jim'll Fix It host was suspected of being involved; the "others" strand of the inquiry relates to allegations being investigated by Operation Yewtree that do not involve Savile.
Clifford, who built his public relations business Max Clifford Associates out of celebrity kiss-and-tell deals with tabloid newspapers, has represented some of the country's best-known stars, including Simon Cowell, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and reality TV star Jade Goody.