Ex-BBC DJ arrested again over sex offense claims

Former BBC radio presenter Dave Lee Travis, praised by Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi for entertaining her with his weekly show during her years in captivity, has been re-arrested over further allegations of sex offences, London police said today.

Travis, 67, was first arrested last November by detectives working on Operation Yewtree, an inquiry centered on claims against the late BBC TV host Jimmy Savile. Travis has denied any impropriety.

Savile was one of Britain's biggest stars in the 1970s and 1980s but since his 2011 death, police discovered he had carried out sex crimes on an unprecedented scale.

Police said "Yewtree 4" - their arrest identification for Travis - was quizzed over new allegations when he answered bail on Monday. He was later released on bail until April.

"On his return on March 11, the man in his 60s was further arrested on suspicion of sexual offences in connection with further allegations made to Operation Yewtree," a police spokesman said.

A number of high-profile figures, including Jim Davidson, a comedian who hosted prime-time shows on the BBC in the 1990s and Max Clifford, Britain's most high-profile celebrity publicist, have also been arrested by Operation Yewtree detectives.

Police have been examining three categories of alleged offences: those involving only Savile, which make up the majority of cases; those involving Savile and others; and those which had no direct link to Savile.

The arrest of Travis falls into the last category.

Well-known in Britain for his years as a DJ on BBC Radio 1, Travis, nicknamed the "Hairy Cornflake" for his bushy beard, admitted he was astonished to learn that Suu Kyi had been a big fan of his show on the BBC World Service during her 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010.

She singled out his music request program "A Jolly Good Show" for making her "world much more complete."