Jimmy Tarbuck in child sex arrest
Veteran comedian Jimmy Tarbuck has been arrested in connection with a historic child sex abuse allegation, sources said.
Tarbuck, 73, was questioned by North Yorkshire Police on April 26 in relation to an incident which allegedly occurred in the late 1970s in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, when the victim was a young boy.
The TV personality's name had not been revealed until the Daily Mail named him on Sunday night. It is understood he was arrested at his home in Kingston Upon Thames, south-west London, and released on bail.
The arrest was made following information passed by Metropolitan Police officers working on Operation Yewtree to North Yorkshire Police.
A force spokesman said: "North Yorkshire Police can confirm that a 73-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a historic child sex abuse investigation in Harrogate. The man was arrested in Kingston Upon Thames on Friday 26 April 2013. Following questioning, he was released on police bail pending further inquiries. The complaint relates to an incident that occurred in the late 1970s when the victim was a young boy. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage."
Jimmy Tarbuck is known for being a comedian who has spent more than 50 years in television. Born in 1940 in Liverpool, he was a schoolmate of John Lennon and his first television breakthrough came with It's Tarbuck 65! in 1964. He hosted numerous quiz shows, including Winner Takes All and Full Swing.
In 1994 he was awarded an OBE by the Queen for his services to showbusiness and charity. Last November he performed in The Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His daughter is the actress, television and radio presenter Liza Tarbuck.
Tarbuck has cancelled a one-night, solo appearance at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, East Sussex, on June 18, due to "ill-health". A theatre spokeswoman said: "We received notification that he's cancelled this year's tour due to ill-health and we are in the process of advising all of our customers who have bought tickets for June 18."
A planned ITV programme celebrating the life of the late comedian Les Dawson has been edited to omit a contribution from Tarbuck. A press release posted on ITV's website publicising the programme Les Dawson: An Audience That Never Was - said it would feature "a host of stars including Sir Bruce Forsyth, Cilla Black, Sir Terry Wogan, Jimmy Tarbuck and Ken Dodd".
It is understood Tarbuck will be edited out in light of his arrest. The programme is expected to be shown around two weeks from now.
