Harris faces further claims of sexual offences

Veteran entertainer Rolf Harris has been arrested for a second time following further allegations of sexual offences.

The 83-year-old from Bray in Berkshire answered police bail yesterday and was told that he faces additional claims.

He was arrested in March by detectives from Operation Yewtree, the investigation launched in the wake of abuse claims made against television presenter Jimmy Savile.

Harris had previously been interviewed under caution last November, five days after a search warrant was executed at his home.

He was only publicly named as a Yewtree suspect in April, when The Sun identified him in connection with the probe.

Scotland Yard did not name Harris, but released a statement which said a man had been “further arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in connection with further allegations made to Operation Yewtree”. He has been released on bail.

The inquiry has been run in three strands — claims involving Savile, those involving Savile and others, and those involving others.

Harris is being dealt with under the “others” strand, meaning the allegations have no link to Savile.

The Australian, who painted a portrait of the Queen in 2005 and performed at her Diamond Jubilee concert last year, has been a family favourite for decades.

He had his first hit in 1960 with ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport,’ and gained cult status in recent years. He performed at Glastonbury several times and made a rare public appearance at the Wickham Festival in Hampshire at the weekend.