Dan Wootton cleared of alleged criminal behaviour after six-month investigation

Dan Wootton says the allegations were a ‘politically motivated witch-hunt’ Photograph: Gemma Gravett/GB News/PA

The broadcaster Dan Wootton has been cleared of alleged criminal behaviour after the Metropolitan police decided to take no action following a six-month investigation.

Last October, the Met said it was investigating a 40-year-old after the force was handed a 28-page dossier in June by journalists at Byline Times.

Wootton admitted “errors of judgment” in his past but always denied criminal wrongdoing.

On Wednesday he said had been “completely cleared” after the Met and Police Scotland told him that no further action would be taken.

In a statement issued through his lawyer, Wootton said he had been subjected to a “politically motivated witch-hunt through the left wing and social media”.

He said the accusations made against him “were completely spurious – lies designed to destroy my career where complainants were actuated by malice”.

He said: “I have now been completely cleared in two investigations by the Metropolitan and Scottish police, who have confirmed they will be taking no further action.

“While I knew this would always be the outcome, the process is now the punishment, with social media acting as the executioner.

“Margaret Thatcher once said that if you ever get trial by media, or guilt by accusation, that day freedom dies. She was right. It is high time that all of our ancient rights were once again upheld, chief among them the right to be presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

“If it falls to me to be the champion of those rights, then so be it. It is a fight I am more than willing to take up, not just for me but for all of us.”

When the allegations first emerged last year, Wootton said social media and “cancel culture” had amplified the allegations.

He said: “I have been thinking much about the current state of social media, where any allegation can be made in an attempt to get someone cancelled but it is impossible to defend yourself against thousands of trolls.”

“I, like all fallible human beings, have made errors of judgment in the past. But the criminal allegations being made against me are simply untrue.”

In a statement, the Met said: “In June 2023, the Metropolitan police was contacted with regards to allegations of sexual offences committed by a man aged in his 40s.

“Officers assessed all information available to establish whether any criminal offence has taken place. An investigation was commenced into these allegations. All parties involved have now been advised that no further action will be taken. There were no arrests during the investigation.”

Wootton, a former newspaper journalist, is best known for his role in breaking the story of the withdrawal of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from royal duties, and was named showbiz reporter of the year at the British Press Awards on three occasions.

In January 2021 he announced he would be leaving his job as executive editor at The Sun, where he previously edited the paper’s Bizarre column.

He presented an evening show on GB News where he would frequently rail against what he saw as wokeness in public life.

Last September, Wootton was sacked by MailOnline after he was suspended by GB News for his part in an on-air misogynist discussion with actor Laurence Fox about a female journalist.