Rolf Harris 'to face eight new charges'

Operation Yewtree police have been investigating the convicted paedophile after at least 20 women came forward when he was sentenced to jail in July last year.

Harris, an artist and former TV presenter, is serving a six-year sentence at Stafford Prison for sex attacks on girls as young eight from 1968 to 1986.

Eight months into his sentence, he was then quizzed by police in February over the latest allegations made against him with formal documents sent to prosecutors who are now poised to bring charges.

A legal source said: "As I understand it there are about eight further charges in relation to other people.

"It's similar to Jimmy Savile. They don't know each other. They have given evidence not knowing what the other people are going to say and the evidence is strikingly similar."

The Crown Prosecution Service would not confirm or deny the possibility that more charges could be brought against Harris.

The potential new charges come ahead of a documentary about the Australian to be screened on the CI Channel on Sunday.

Police were understood to be concerned about the timing of the show, given the possible charges.

The latest developments come just months after Staffordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said he hoped the lack of remorse shown by Harris would encourage victims of child abuse to come forward.

It came after Harris wrote a letter from his Stafford prison cell in which he described his victims as 'money-grabbing wenches'.

He said: "The words reported to have been written by Harris are callous, appearing to show no sense of remorse or understanding of how vulnerable children live with their experiences for years, and sometimes for the rest of their lives.

"I'm sure people will be sickened to hear about this and I hope it makes anyone who has been the victim of child abuse, either historically or recently, more determined to come forward and report it no matter who the abuser is or what position in life they hold."

Operation Yewtree, launched almost three years ago, is the police probe set up in the wake of disclosures that former BBC DJ Jimmy Savile was a prolific paedophile.

Gary Glitter, former PR guru Max Clifford and former BBC radio presenter Chris Denning have also been jailed following trials brought under the operation.