DJ Paul Gambaccini says Met chief ‘tried to destroy his life’ as he considers suing cops over abuse claims
Veteran presenter considering suing the police for taking a year to drop sex abuse claims against him despite a lack of evidence
DJ PAUL Gambaccini is considering suing the police for taking a year to drop sex abuse claims against him despite a lack of evidence.
The veteran presenter was dropped by the BBC after he was arrested in October 2013, as cops probed historical sex abuse claims involving two teenage boys.
Speaking at the Gibralter Literary Festival, the American-born radio presenter told how he had been the victim of a celebrity “witch hunt” launched by cops in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.
He also told how the outgoing Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who he called “the villain of my life”, has failed to apologise to him.
Mr Gambaccini said: "The Metropolitan Police of Bernard Hogan-Howe attempted to destroy my life and end my career for their own public relations purposes in a 100% fraud.
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"And when they failed, as they have done, they did not admit it, they did not apologise, they did not offer restitution.
"There can be no organisation more vile than the Metropolitan Police.
"Bernard Hogan-Howe is the villain of my life, but more than that, he is the coward of my life."
He also claimed Hogan-Howe, who announced he is to retire early in February 2017, has dodged answering questions about his case when asked by the Home Affairs Select Committee and journalists.
The broadcaster also revealed that he is considering suing the Met Police after recently discovering that his case file has errors in it and that allegations relating to a ‘secondary’ [accuser] do not feature.
He said: “On Tuesday I did instruct my lawyers to make preliminary investigations to seek information concerning my case with particular reference to 'secondary [accuser]' with the idea this may lead to action”
The broadcaster said no final decision has yet been taken about suing the Met, but that he changed his mind and decided to consider legal action because "I cannot live with the stifling dishonesty of the Metropolitan Police".
Fellow radio veteran Tony Blackburn has this week revealed that he will be returning to the BBC almost a year after leaving the corporation.
The 73-year-old was taken off air in February following claims at the time from Director General Tony Hall that Mr Blackburn had failed to fully co-operate with the Jimmy Savile inquiry.
Dismissing the claims, Blackburn accused the BBC of making him a “scapegoat” for its own “cover-up” of sexual abuse.