Call issued for information about Tim Westwood’s time at BBC

By Alex Green, PA Acting Deputy Entertainment Editor

A call has been issued for evidence about what was known about Tim Westwood’s conduct during his time at the BBC.

Gemma White, the barrister leading the investigation into the former hip hop DJ, who has been accused of a string of sexual assaults against women, is urging people with information about his time at the broadcaster to come forward.

She was appointed by the BBC Board in August to lead an independent review after an internal investigation found the corporation should have further explored issues raised at the time.

Westwood, who left the BBC in 2013 after nearly two decades, also stepped down from his show on Capital Xtra in April after the initial claims came to light.

The 65-year-old has “strongly” denied any wrongdoing.

The call for evidence requests information about “any allegations or concerns about the conduct of Tim Westwood during any time he worked for the BBC”, whether or not the allegations or concerns were raised with the BBC at the time.

It also asks for information about any knowledge the BBC may have had about those allegations or concerns, and any response the BBC may have made at the time.

The call urges those who know “any reasons for which allegations or concerns were not raised with the BBC” to come forward.

The investigation, announced in August, is intended to be completed in six months and the BBC has said it is willing to work with Westwood’s other employers, which include MTV and Capital Xtra-owner Global, to establish what happened.

In July, the BBC said it had received six complaints against Westwood, including one that was referred to police, despite director-general Tim Davie previously saying he had seen “no evidence of complaints”.

Mr Davie launched an internal audit, reporting to the BBC board’s senior independent director, Sir Nicholas Serota.

A statement from a representative of Westwood to the PA news agency in April said: “Tim Westwood strongly denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

“In a career that has spanned 40 years, there have never been any complaints made against him officially or unofficially.

“Tim Westwood strongly rejects all allegations of wrongdoing.”

His representatives have been contacted for further comment.

The DJ, who is the son of Bill Westwood, the former Anglican bishop of Peterborough – who died in 1999 – began his career on local radio before joining Capital Radio in London.

He was later given his own show by BBC Radio 1.

He left Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra in 2013 after nearly 20 years and returned to Capital Xtra to host a regular show on Saturday nights, where he was referred to as “The Big Dawg”.