Barrymore faces new police probe

British entertainer Michael Barrymore faces a police investigation into claims that he lied during last week’s inquest into the death of a partygoer at his house, it emerged today.

Essex police said today that coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray had referred the perjury allegations to the force following the inquest into the death of Stuart Lubbock, which ended on Friday with an open verdict.

The move came as the BBC confirmed it had “postponed indefinitely” controversial plans to publish Barrymore’s autobiography next month.

It emerged on Saturday that the coroner was looking at an allegation that the entertainer had perjured himself at the inquest.

The presenter’s former wife Cheryl Barrymore has claimed the star could swim despite him telling the inquest he could not.

She also alleges the entertainer had rubbed cocaine on the gums of other people as well as himself.

During the inquest Barrymore refused to answer questions about drug taking allegations.

He also denied rubbing cocaine into Mr Lubbock’s gums or giving him ecstasy.

At the conclusion of the week-long inquest on Friday the coroner said what happened to Mr Lubbock, a 31-year-old meat factory worker, before he was found in the star’s swimming pool remained a mystery.