Actor Noel Clarke has allegedly been arrested at his London home on Thursday. Officers reportedly conducted an extensive search of the property of the Doctor Who star, with a dog unit in attendance too.

It was widely reported that police attended the property in Kensington, West London, before 9am today and officers remained at the scene for approximately five hours. Multiple items were allegedly removed from the home, including computer equipment and paperwork as officers were seen leaving the address with boxes containing laptops and documents. It is understood that Clarke was arrested and questioned in custody, however, the Met Police are yet to release any statement about the incident. They have refused to confirm any details about the arrest or comment on the reasons for it. Following questioning, the actor is thought to have returned to his residence shortly before 5.30pm, accompanied by two individuals.

The reported arrest comes after Clarke lost a libel action case against The Guardian following an investigation by the newspaper in which he was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 20 women in a series of news articles.

The first article, published in April 2021, said some 20 women who knew Clarke in a professional capacity had come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

In a statement at the time, the actor, writer and director, best known for his 2006 film Kidulthood and his role in Doctor Who, said he vehemently denied "any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing".

The 49-year-old star, who played Mickey Smith on the BBC sci-fi show, had said he would seek £70million in damages if successful on the grounds of truth and public interest.

In August, Mrs Justice Steyn rejected the Doctor Who star's claim in a high court judgement. Clarke continues to protest his innocence and said after he lost his case: “For almost five years, I have fought against a powerful media outlet and its extensive legal teams over inaccurate and damaging reporting.

“These stories started via anonymous emails portraying me as a monster to attract attention and outrage. The goal was to damage my career, and they succeeded.

“I have never claimed to be perfect. But I am not the person described in these articles. Overnight I lost everything, the media outlet didn’t just ruin my life they ripped through my family’s also.”

In 2009, Clarke won the Rising Star prize at the Bafta Film Awards, and in 2021 was given Bafta’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema honour.

But that award and his Bafta membership were suspended when women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct.