'Insufficient evidence': Freddie Starr will not be prosecuted for sex offences

Freddie Starr will not be prosecuted over allegations of sex offences, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said, citing "insufficient evidence".

The CPS has confirmed that "having carefully reviewed" the case against Starr, the 71-year old entertainer will not be prosecuted over allegations of sexual offences made by 13 individuals.

He was first questioned by police in November 2012 as part of Operation Yewtree, an investigation established in the wake of paedophile activities of the late Jimmy Savile, and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

His lawyer, Dean Dunham, accused Scotland Yard of a "flagrant breach" of Starr's human rights due to delays in the case.

He claimed a charging decision was made last month, but the CPS did not make it public at the time because of the trial against celebrity publicist PR Max Clifford.

Baljit Ubhey, the Chief Crown Prosecutor of CPS London, said: "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.

"Prosecutors have to consider whether there is enough evidence to bring a case to trial but deciding whether an offence has been committed is entirely a matter for courts and juries and every suspect is innocent until proven guilty.

"All of these decisions have been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and our guidance for prosecutors on cases of sexual offences. The complainants have been informed and we will be writing to them to more fully explain our decision."