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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Matthew Young & Kate Lally

Convicted paedophile Rolf Harris dies age 93

Convicted paedophile Rolf Harris has died aged 93.

A registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall has confirmed to the PA news agency that Harris has died.

Neighbours of his on the estate where Harris lived in Bray, Berks, confirmed to the Mirror he had died either Wednesday morning or Tuesday evening. One said they had seen a sudden influx of carers into Harris' mansion around a week ago.

One neighbour told the Mirror she was told by a mutual friend Wednesday morning that Rolf had died. It was reported last year that Harris was ill with neck cancer and was unable to talk but the neighbour, a friend of Harris', said she last spoke to him about six months ago and he was able to speak.

Carers were still seen coming and going from the property today and yesterday. Harris' wife Alwen is believed to still be in the home and bedridden with illness.

Harris was said to be "gravely ill" and receiving round-the-clock care from nurses and carers on a daily basis before his death.

The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014. These included one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse against his daughter's friend over 16 years.

Rolf Harris (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986. In May 2017, he was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

Later the same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal. Harris was released on licence from HMP Stafford on May 19 2017, less than three years after his sentence began.

At the time, his was the biggest celebrity scalp to be claimed by detectives from high-profile sex crime investigation Operation Yewtree. He was the second person convicted under the national inquiry, set up in the wake of abuse claims against late DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile.

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away. He was made an MBE in the 1960s, OBE a decade later and CBE in 2006 - the year after he painted the late queen's 80th birthday portrait.

The decision to revoke an honour, which can be recommended by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to the Forfeiture Committee, must be approved by the sovereign.

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