Dave Lee Travis insists sex abuse claims do not involve kids

DJ Dave Lee Travis has spoken out following his arrest on sex abuse allegations, branding the claims "evil" and protesting his innocence.

The presenter, a household name after spending 25 years hosting shows on BBC Radio 1 until the mid-1990s, was held by cops on Thursday as part of an investigation into late TV star Sir Jimmy Savile.

He is the latest veteran star to be arrested as cops probe claims Savile abused more than 300 youngsters during his BBC heyday, but Lee Travis has now spoken out to insist the allegations against him do not involve children.

In a statement made outside his home on Friday morning, he said, "This is nothing to do with kids, all right? That's the first thing. Because that to me is the most important thing in the world and I do not wish to have my name sullied around something that bl**dy evil, to be honest.

"The second thing I want is to say, yes, there's a complete denial there, but there's nothing else I can tell you because otherwise I might be stepping on the police's feet and I don't want to do that because it might affect their investigations."

Lee Travis, who was released on bail and has since been dropped from his weekend show on a local radio station while the probe is ongoing, alleges he has been targeted as he is a celebrity, adding, "It's just too easy to make allegations. I'm an easy target. I am and always have been completely abhorred by child molestation. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?"

Since Savile, who died last year, was unmasked as a paedophile in September a string of allegations has been made about other high-profile stars, sparking a wide-ranging police investigation.