David Walliams investigated by Met Police over alleged sexual offences

The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation after the force received “a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences” against David Walliams.

The forced launched the investigation after receiving allegations against the actor, separate to those reported by ITV and the Guardian.

A statement from the force said: “In recent days, the Met has received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences involving a man now in his 50s.

“Those who have come forward are being supported by specialist officers.

“The allegations are separate from those reported by ITN and The Guardian. However, as part of their investigation, detectives are also proactively reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is any evidence of offences.”

It is understood the force had not received any reports prior to these allegations.

Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, the head of the team leading the investigation, said: “We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to come forward and speak to us, no matter when it happened.

“We know reporting allegations of this nature can be daunting, but specialist officers are on hand to provide support, answer questions and guide you through the process.”

The best-selling author was recently named as the man accused of sexual misconduct and abusing his power to groom teenagers as young as 15 after temporary reporting restrictions were lifted.

One woman, named by ITV News and the Guardian as Jade, claimed she was 15 and Walliams was 36 when they met in August 2007 and he invited her to his house.

She claimed what happened to her there was “sexual assault” and “grooming”, adding: “It’s completely wrong in every way.”

Walliams strongly denied to the publications that he had any sexual contact with Jade, adding that he rejects any allegations of criminal activity and he has never engaged in the grooming of young women.

After the allegations emerged on Tuesday, he was also dropped by his literary agency, Independent Talent Group, and the BBC began removing his shows, including Little Britain, from iPlayer.