A second UK police force opens investigation into Russell Brand claims

LONDON: A second British police force said it had launched an investigation following allegations of harassment and stalking made against actor and comedian Russell Brand.

Last month, the Sunday Times newspaper and Channel 4 TV's documentary show "Dispatches" reported four women had accused Brand, 48, of sex offences, including a rape, between 2006 and 2013.

Brand has rejected the "very serious criminal allegations", saying on his social media channels that he had never had non-consensual sex.

London police said last week that following the media reports they had opened an investigation into a number of allegations of non-recent sexual offences which were said to have been committed in the capital and across the country.

On Monday, following new reports by the Daily Mail and the BBC, Thames Valley Police, which covers an area to the northwest of London, said they were looking into allegations made by a woman dating between 2018 and 2022.

"Thames Valley Police in the past two weeks received new information in relation to harassment and stalking allegations dating back to 2018," the force said in a statement. "This information is being investigated; as such it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation."

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from representatives for Brand.