Gambaccini tells of ‘12 months of trauma’ over sex abuse claims

BROADCASTER Paul Gambaccini said he has suffered “12 months of trauma” after being “falsely accused” of historic sex crimes.

The 65-year-old was told yesterday that he will face no further action after he was arrested under high profile investigation Operation Yewtree in October last year.

In a statement through his lawyers, he said: “There may be members of the Press who will ask me to give interviews or make provocative statements. I will politely decline. To discuss horror in this way is to trivialise it.

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“I will never trivialise the 12 months of trauma to which I have been unjustly subjected.

“I would like to thank my friends, my lawyers and the people of this country for their support during the past year. Wherever I have gone, I have been stopped in the street by members of the public offering encouragement. I am very grateful. I’ll be back at work soon.”

The BBC Radio 2 presenter’s lawyers accused police of leaving him in limbo with no explanation.

Bindmans said in a statement: “He fully co-operated throughout but his bail was repeatedly extended with little explanation.”

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Prosecutors confirmed yesterday that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against Gambaccini, and a second man who was arrested on the same day, over allegations dating back to the 1980s.

Gambaccini and a second man, now aged 75, were held on October 29 last year over allegations of sex offences claimed to have taken place over two years in the early 1980s.

Baljit Ubhey, the Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London, said: “Having carefully reviewed this case, we have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute in relation to allegations of sexual offences made by two males believed to be aged between 14 and 15 at the time of the alleged offending.”

BBC bosses are to meet with Gambaccini to discuss his return to work. A spokesman said: “We will be meeting Paul to discuss next steps shortly.”

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