Overview

• Detectives searched the 49-year-old actor’s London address for about five hours, using a specialist dog unit and removing electronic devices and paperwork.
• The Metropolitan Police did not disclose the reason for the arrest, and Clarke was questioned in custody before being released.
• It is understood the investigation began on 1 September and is being led by the Met’s central specialist crime command.
• The arrest follows a civil judgment that found The Guardian’s reporting on allegations by more than 20 women was substantially true, with the court ordering Clarke to pay £3m toward the publisher’s legal costs.
• Clarke has denied the allegations and maintains he is not the person described in the articles.