Essex Police have been contacted with new information following allegations about the conduct of West Ham co-owner David Sullivan. The 77-year-old recently quit as chairman of West Ham United to fight what he claims are ‘false allegations’ about his conduct.
On Monday, the BBC and The Times reported the accounts of seven women who claimed Mr Sullivan engaged in sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour. Essex Police said on Thursday that it had “received some contact and inquiries into those are now under way”. The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) said in an earlier statement that it is in contact with the football club seeking information about Mr Sullivan’s suitability as a co-owner following the claims, which he denies.
Downing Street called the allegations “harrowing” and said it was right for the police to assess the claims. The accounts from the women date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when he owned tabloid newspapers the Daily Sport and the Sunday Sport.
According to the reporting, the claims about Mr Sullivan involve him pressuring young or aspiring models in their late teens or early 20s. The Times said it was a two-year investigation, which involved its reporters interviewing dozens of former models and other industry sources.
At the weekend, Mr Sullivan said he “categorically denies” all of the claims. The Metropolitan Police said they were investigating a report relating to the “alleged taking of indecent images and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980s”.
The force said this investigation related to one alleged victim and was being led by specialist detectives from the Met’s rape and serious sexual offences team.
Essex Police investigated an allegation of a non-recent sexual offence after a report was handed over from the Met in 2023.
As part of that investigation, other claims of non-recent sexual offences made in 2008 and 2021 were also reviewed, and early investigative advice taken from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The force then decided that no further action would be taken.
A spokesman said in an earlier statement that it takes “allegations of this nature very seriously” and urged any alleged victim of sexual assault to report it to Essex Police.
In a statement announcing he was stepping down as chairman of West Ham at the weekend, Mr Sullivan said: “The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media. After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry, in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me. I categorically deny these claims.”
He added: “After very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as joint-chair and director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect. This has been an incredibly painful decision to make, but it is one made out of love, respect and responsibility toward a football club and a fanbase that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward.”
Mr Sullivan made his millions from the pornography industry throughout the 1970s. Mr Sullivan and business partner David Gold completed their takeover of West Ham in 2010 after selling Birmingham City, and brought Karren Brady with them as vice-chairman.Mr Gold died in 2023, aged 86, while Baroness Brady left her role before the end of a season that ended in relegation from the Premier League. Mr Sullivan’s net worth was estimated to be around £1.2 billion in 2024, according to The Times Rich List.