Stuart Hall stripped of OBE by Queen after sex offences conviction

  • Published
Stuart Hall
Image caption,

Hall admitted 14 counts of sexual assault

Former BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall has been stripped of his OBE by the Queen after he was jailed for a series of sexual assaults on young girls.

The Queen has directed the honour should be "cancelled and annulled" and his name be "erased" from the register.

In June, Hall, 83, admitted 14 counts against girls aged from nine to 17 between 1967 and 1985.

His 15-month sentence was doubled by the Court of Appeal in July. Hall was made an OBE in December 2011.

An independent forfeiture committee recommended he should lose his honour for bringing the system into disrepute.

'Lived a lie'

The Honours Forfeiture Committee's recommendation was sent to the Queen by the Prime Minister.

Image caption,

The move was announced in the London Gazette

Her final decision was published in the London Gazette, the official Crown newspaper.

Hall was initially arrested in December 2012 and made a statement labelling the claims "pernicious, callous, cruel and above all spurious".

Preston Crown Court heard the former It's a Knockout host was an "opportunistic predator" who used his fame to befriend girls.

About 150 complaints were made concerning the length of Hall's original prison term.

At the Court of Appeal, Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge said the original sentence was "unduly lenient" given the impact on Hall's victims.

Lord Judge said Hall had "got away with it" for decades and had "lived a lie for more than half of his life".

Hall had been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting for half a century, and was appointed OBE in the 2012 New Year Honours.

He is expected to serve half of his 30-month sentence, meaning he will be released in September 2014, the BBC understands.

Lancashire Police has been investigating further historical allegations against Hall which they received after he was jailed.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.