This ones a shocker.....................whose next?
Australian entertainer, 83, held by Met Police detectives on March 28
There had been a news blackout until The Sun newspaper named him today
Harris was first interviewed in November until his arrest last month
Scotland Yard say offences are not linked to Savile
He became the 11th man to be detained under Operation Yewtree
Mail understands Harris vehemently denies the allegations
By STEPHEN WRIGHT and MARTIN ROBINSON
PUBLISHED: 07:12, 19 April 2013 | UPDATED: 10:32, 19 April 2013
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Arrest: Australian broadcaster and artist Rolf Harris, holding the Officer of the Order of Australia, has been arrested by Scotland Yard over alleged sex offences, The Sun said today
Rolf Harris was outed today by The Sun as the suspect arrested by detectives investigating the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.
The veteran entertainer – who serenaded the Queen at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year - was interviewed by detectives from Scotland Yard’s Operation Yewtree.
The national media had not named him for legal reasons until The Sun did so today.
The newspaper indulged in a classic piece of Fleet Street subterfuge by producing a 'dummy' front page for its earlier editions this morning before naming Mr Harris as a Yewtree suspect in its final edition.
Dummy front pages are used traditionally by newspapers to keep stories exclusive for as long as possible.
His agent and lawyers have declined to comment. But the Mail has been told that Harris vehemently denies the allegations.
Harris, 83, became the 11th man to be detained over the controversial inquiry which critics say has turned into a ‘celebrity witch-hunt’.
He was first interviewed – but not arrested - over alleged sex offences last November after attending a police station by appointment.
But on March 28 police took the decision to formally arrest him over the allegations, just two days before his 83rd birthday.
Scotland Yard said: 'An 82-year-old man from Berkshire was arrested by officers on Operation Yewtree on suspicion of sexual offences. He has been bailed to a date in May pending further enquiries. The individual falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed "others".'
Australian-born Harris, a much-loved national institution who was made a CBE in the 2006 Queen’s birthday honours list, is the biggest name to be held in connection with the Yewtree inquiry following the arrests of pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr, DJ Dave Lee Travis, publicist Max Clifford and comedian Jim Davidson.
Police gave no details about the Harris’s alleged sexual offences, but they are thought to be of a historic nature.
Allegations: Rolf Harris was arrested in March by officers from Operation Yewtree, the investigation into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal
Harris is one of Britain’s most iconic entertainers. Famed for his catchphrase ‘Can you guess what it is yet?’ when drawing cartoons, he is a musician, a singer-songwriter, a composer and a painter, as well as a television presenter and his career has spanned six decades, most notably at the BBC where he presented Animal Hospital from 1994 to 2004.
At last summer’s Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace, he led the crowd – including Princess Anne – in an impromptu rendition of Two Little Boys, his 1969 Christmas No. 1 hit. He is also famed for his 1957 song ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport’.
Harris was interviewed under caution over sex allegations on November 29.
It is understood police had intended to arrest him five days earlier, on November 24, but he was overseas when they went to his home. They went ahead with a search of his Berkshire property, taking away computer equipment and other items.
Detailed examination of computer equipment taken away from his home last November continues.
When he returned to the UK, arrangements were made for him to be interviewed voluntarily.
Published: The Sun produced a 'dummy' front page (left) before later printing details of Harris's arrest (right)
Since his first police interview, Harris has been named on the Internet in connection with Operation Yewtree.
In February Harris made a rare stage appearance at London’s Southbank Centre.
The packed audience were oblivious to Internet rumours circulating on the Internet linking him to the sex abuse scandal.
The crowd happily sang along to all his hits and laughed on queue to the 83-year-old’s quips.
And the former children’s television star appeared relaxed and in good health as he told audiences what he has been busy doing over the last year.
Favourite: Rolf Harris is hugely popular, shown her officially unveiling his oil portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2005
Among other things, he has made a children’s book in New Zealand, which he did the artwork for and recorded as a song.
Marriage: Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen pictured together in central London in 2002, who have been married since 1958
His voice was practically as powerful as in his hay day and his silly voices had not changed.
He laughed off fans who shouted they loved him and said he was their idol.
Despite his good over-all physical health, he complained of pain in his right leg.
At the end of his two-hour-long show Harris received a standing ovation from the sold-out audience.But unlike after his previous performances, Harris did not greet his fans after the show, disappointing many who stood outside in the cold for more than an hour to get his autograph.
His agent asked fans to leave, telling them he is ‘not the same as he used to be’, adding that he was tired after the long show.
Harris, who is believed to have sought psychiatric treatment following his first police interview, denies the allegations.
Detectives believe there will be insufficient evidence to prosecute the vast majority of the 11 suspects questioned under Operation Yewtree, a national probe prompted by allegations that emerged against Savile
Details of the small number of Yewtree prosecutions emerged a day after a former BBC producer was released without charge after being arrested over an alleged sex assault in 1965.
Wilfred De’ath, 75, who spent four months on bail before being cleared, accused police of being ‘over-zealous’ because they had failed ‘lamentably’ to stop Savile’s reign of terror while he was still alive.
Comments
yes Rolf, it's your cock!
Amazes me that the media can ruin people's lives based on arrests. If guilty then throw the book at people by all means but these sort of stories can really ruin innocent people's lives.
Shocking really
I have to say this would surprise me, more than all the others. But who knows.
Or by creepy do I really mean they're on the take?
Bloody minefield all this.
I'm not very comfortable with this whole process, allegations about events 40 years ago are going to be incredibly hard to prove for the victim, and incredibly hard to 100% disprove (for an innocent suspect) leaving a tainted reputation.
Not sure what in particular prevented them from saying anything at the time, and what has now changed for The Sun to publish something today.
Bloody minefield all this.
You could be right mate remember Marmalade? their careers nose dived when they got caught in an underage groupie scandal. I only ever knew one true groupie and I can't imagine her being taken too seriously as my mate put it "She's swallowed more semen than the Bermuda Triangle" that made me laugh a lot