UK government âconcernedâ by abuse claims against West Ham co-owner
David Sullivan quit as joint chair of the relegated Premier League football club to fight what he said were âfalse allegationsâ. Allegations that the billionaire
David Sullivan quit as joint chair of the relegated Premier League football club to fight what he said were âfalse allegationsâ. Allegations that the billionaire co-owner of West Ham football club, David Sullivan, preyed on women for sex are âdeeply concerningâ, the British government has said. The 77-year-old recently quit as joint chair of the London football club to fight what he said were âfalse allegationsâ about his private life. But Sullivan, who built a business empire from owning pornographic magazines, remains West Hamâs largest shareholder. Reports broke in the British media on Monday of accounts from seven women accusing Sullivan of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour. The allegations date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when Sullivan owned British tabloid newspapers the Daily Sport and the Sunday Sport. The women claim Sullivan was involved in pressuring young or aspiring models in their late teens or early 20s. In a statement, a spokesman for the United Kingdomâs Department for Culture, Media and Sport said on Tuesday: âThese deeply concerning allegations must be treated with the utmost seriousness and be investigated by the relevant authorities, with victims given the support they need.â Speaking Saturday before the allegations were made public, Sullivan said he âcategorically deniesâ all the claims.
Neither he nor his lawyers has made any further public comment since Mondayâs reports were published. Londonâs Metropolitan Police said they were investigating a report relating to the âalleged taking of indecent images and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980sâ. The force said their investigation related to one alleged victim and was being led by specialist detectives. âWe take all allegations of offences against women and girls extremely seriously, no matter the length of time that has passed,â the Met said. âAs with all cases, any information or evidence provided to police will be assessed and the appropriate inquiries carried out.â âSensationalisedâ Sullivan said at the weekend that âthe false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the mediaâ. He said, âAfter a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry, in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me.
âI categorically deny these claims.â He added that standing down from his chairman and director roles at West Ham was âincredibly painfulâ, but a decision made âout of love, respect and responsibilityâ towards the club and its supporters. The BBC, meanwhile, confirmed in a statement to AFP that it was investigating allegations that Tony Livesey, the former editor-in-chief of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport, had helped facilitate a meeting between Sullivan and one of his accusers. âThe Panorama investigation included allegations about Tony Livesey which we take seriously. We also note Tony has firmly denied the allegations,â a statement read. Livesey, currently a presenter on the BBCâs specialist news and sport channel Radio 5 Live, has âasked to step back from presenting his radio show for a short periodâ, it added. Sullivan and business partner David Gold completed their takeover of West Ham after selling Birmingham City, and brought Karren Brady with them as vice-chairman. Their tenure oversaw the unpopular move from Upton Park to the former Olympic Stadium in 2016, making the trio the focus of numerous anti-board protests among West Ham supporters even before the club was relegated from the Premier League last month.
