Travis ‘was touchy feely
in nice way’

Philip Hughes, who worked as a technical operator for the BBC from 1973 to 1980, said he never saw any “inappropriate conduct” by Travis when they worked together on Radio 1.

Mr Hughes was one of several former co-workers giving evidence in support of the presenter, real name David Griffen, who denies 13 counts of indecent assault between 1976 and 2003, and one count of sexual assault.

Asked by defence barrister Stephen Vullo how he found Travis, Mr Hughes replied: “I personally liked Dave. He was a fun and larger-than-life character, nice bloke, great sense of humour.”

Mr Hughes said if technical operators had been made aware of a sexual assault, it would “probably have been talked about”.

“He was the sort of person who would give a bear hug in the corridor,” he went on. “Blokes as well as anyone working on the programme. He was touch-feely in that sense but in a nice sense of being touchy-feely. Some people aren’t.”

Former Radio 1 producer David Atkey, who worked for the station for 20 years, said he was never made aware of an allegation that Travis indecently assaulted a woman in a studio in 1977.

“His conduct was exemplary,” he said.

The case continues.