Clifford vows to clear his name

Max Clifford has told reporters that he is very grateful for the "tremendous support" that he has received from his clients and friends since allegations that he allegedly assaulted several women became public.

Speaking outside his house Mr Clifford said he was upset that women could make allegations 40 years after the alleged event.

The 70-year-old faces eleven historic counts of indecently assaulting against teenage girls.

The celebrity publicist Max Clifford has released as statement on Twitter denouncing the allegations made against him as "utterly false".

PR guru Max Clifford tonight faced the cameras himself to deny serious sex abuse allegations.

Clifford, who made his name and fortune promoting and shielding celebrities, said the 11 charges of indecently assaulting teenage girls were completely false and vowed to clear his name in court.

He was arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, the police investigation prompted by sex abuse claims against Jimmy Savile.

Watch this report from ITV News UK Editor Lucy Manning:

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"If nothing had happened with Jimmy Savile, none of this would have happened," Max Clifford said in comments after reading his pre-prepared statement.

"And I feel just as sorry for Dave Lee Travis and Freddie [Starr] and Jim Davidson and others - many of whom I've known - as I do for myself.

"Hopefully in the months ahead we'll all be able to show what this is really all about."

Lee Travis, Starr and Davidson have all recently been arrested and bailed as part of Operation Yewtree, the national police inquiry sparked by allegations of abuse against Jimmy Savile.

"I totally deny these allegations which have come from seven women," Max Clifford said in a phone conversation with ITV News UK Editor Lucy Manning.

"I have never indecently assaulted anybody in my life and during the course of the proceedings I will prove that," he said.

He said he was grateful for the public support he was receiving.

Channel 4 News editor Ben de Pear said Max Clifford declined to appear on the programme this evening and was exhausted after police interviews:

Max Clifford denied the allegations and said he was "living a 24/7 nightmare".

He said in a statement:

Max Clifford tonight said the allegations were "completely false" and vowed to "clear my name in a court of law".