Freddie Starr not to be prosecuted

Entertainer Freddie Starr will not be prosecuted following allegations of sex offences, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

There was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute, the CPS said.

Mr Starr has been on bail after being arrested by detectives investigating allegations of sexual abuse as part of Operation Yewtree.

He was first questioned in November 2012, and has always denied any wrongdoing.

Baljit Ubhey, the Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London, said the case had been "carefully reviewed".

'Writing to complainants'
But there was not enough evidence to prosecute after allegations by 13 individuals, she said.

The complainants have been told of the decision by the CPS, which "will be writing to them to more fully explain our decision".

Baljit Ubhey added: "Each allegation was considered on its own merits and we have concluded that the available evidence does not offer a realistic prospect of conviction for any of the alleged offences.

"In relation to one further complainant, we have decided that although there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, according to the Code for Crown Prosecutors, a prosecution would not be in the public interest.

"It must be remembered that a determination by a prosecutor that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute under the Code does not mean that the suspect is guilty of the offence."

Operation Yewtree is an inquiry into allegations of historical sexual abuse linked to the entertainment industry.

It was launched in 2012 after it emerged the late BBC Radio One DJ and television presenter Jimmy Savile had abused hundreds of young people and children over more than five decades.