Police raid TV weatherman Fred Talbot’s home as part of sex abuse investigation

(PA)

Detectives investigating allegations of historic sexual abuse at schools in Greater Manchester have searched the home of television weatherman Fred Talbot.

Mr Talbot is a former biology teacher at Altrincham Grammar School where police have received complaints from former pupils made against staff there in the 1970s. The meteorologist is best known to viewers of This Morning presented by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.

In the late 1980s and 1990s Mr Talbot, 63, forecast the weather from a floating map of the British Isles in Liverpool’s Albert Dock often wearing a colourful jumper and leaping across the water to Ireland.

He continues to present the weather on the North West regional news show Granada Reports and makes travel programmes.

Greater Manchester Police said it had searched a number of homes on 11 December but no one had been arrested. Mr Talbot is currently on a sailing holiday in the Caribbean and was said to be unaware of the raid on his home in Bowdon.

Police are investigating three separate complaints about alleged historic abuse following media reports. The events at Altrincham Grammar School for Boys are alleged to involve a member of staff but did not occur in the school grounds.

Last month, a 63-year-old former teacher at Catholic boys’ school St Ambrose College in Hale Barns was held on suspicion of indecent assault of an ex-pupil and possession of indecent images dating back to the early 1980s. He was later bailed pending further inquiries.

Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts said: “Following the publicity into the ongoing investigation in St Ambrose RC College, we received other reports of sexual abuse that is alleged to have occurred while the victims were pupils at the grammar school.

”While I must stress that once again these relate to historic allegations, it is incumbent on us to thoroughly and robustly investigate this matter.

“We currently have a dedicated phone line for anyone wanting to report any incidents in relation to these two ongoing but separate investigations and I would urge anyone with any information or who wishes to report any incidents to contact us in absolute confidence.”

In 1995 Mr Talbot was presenting the weather from his floating map when a naked swimmer attempted to clamber aboard his pontoon. An ITV spokesman declined to comment on the police investigation.