Davies apology for comments on sex-pest row

OLDHAM MEP Chris Davies has apologised for his “crass” comments over the Lord Rennard controversy.

Yesterday the Euro-MP supported the under-fire Lib-Dem peer, who denies sexual harassment allegations against him and has refused to apologise.

Fellow Lib-Dem Mr Davies played down the allegations, saying: “This isn’t Jimmy Savile, it is touching someone’s leg six years ago, at a meeting, through clothing. This is the equivalent of a few years ago, an Italian man pinching a woman’s bottom.”

But after criticism, he later stated: “My remarks about Italians pinching a woman’s bottom were crass and I apologise.

“Chris Rennard has been my friend for 36 years and I can see the pain he is going through and I reacted as a friend. I hope that matters can be settled by him and the complainants civilly and without a further media feeding frenzy.”