Essex Police have confirmed they have received new information following the publication of serious allegations about West Ham United co owner David Sullivan.
The 77 year old billionaire resigned as club chairman last weekend, before a joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times revealed accounts from seven women accusing him of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour dating back to the 1980s and 1990s. Sullivan has “categorically denied” all claims.
Essex Police said on Thursday that there had been “some contact and enquiries into those are now under way” following the joint investigation published on Monday. The Metropolitan Police are separately investigating a report relating to the “alleged taking of indecent images and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980s”.
Essex Police had previously investigated an allegation of a non recent sexual offence after a report was handed over from the Met in 2023. Other claims made in 2008 and 2021 were also reviewed, but the force decided no further action would be taken.
FA safeguarding restrictions revealed
The investigations have also revealed that Sullivan has been subject to safeguarding restrictions since 2023, preventing him from having contact with West Ham’s women’s and youth teams. The Football Association opened a safeguarding investigation after receiving a historic allegation about Sullivan’s conduct.
Sullivan confirmed through lawyers that he entered a “negotiated and temporary agreement” with the FA not to meet any academy or women’s team players “1-2-1” until the complaint was resolved. He described it as a “meaningless restriction” that did not impact his work, saying he “accepted it for a quiet life”.
The 77 year old has said the complaint “had nothing to do about my time in football and it never happened”. The restrictions remain in place to the present day and had not been made public until the BBC/Times investigation.
Political and regulatory response
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has held urgent meetings with both the Football Association and West Ham, calling for a “full and urgent explanation” of how the allegations have been handled.
“If it is the case that an investigation concluded that there were sufficiently serious allegations to warrant a ban on contact with the youth and women’s teams, then the FA must explain this decision and why no further action was taken,” Nandy said.
Downing Street described the women’s accounts as “harrowing”, saying it was right for police to assess the claims.
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) confirmed it is in contact with West Ham and will use its statutory powers “to seek urgent information from David Sullivan relating to his suitability under our Owners, Directors and Senior Executives regime”. The IFR holds powers to expel figures it considers unsuitable under new honesty and integrity assessments.
Sullivan’s position
Sullivan resigned as joint chairman and director of West Ham on Saturday, saying he wanted to “apply my full energy and attention on fighting these false allegations”. He retains his 38.8 per cent stake in the club and remains the largest shareholder.
In his resignation statement, Sullivan said: “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 has announced plans to sue the BBC for libel “along with any other media outlet that repeats any libellous allegations”.
West Ham have stated the club has “clear and robust safeguarding measures in place” and that none of the allegations relate to the club’s operations.
What next for West Ham
With Sullivan stepping back from active involvement, attention has turned to the club’s other major shareholders. Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky holds a 27 per cent stake, while Vanessa Gold daughter of Sullivan’s late business partner David Gold, holds 25.1 per cent.
Gold has previously indicated she would consider selling a proportion of her stake “to the right partner”. Speculation has increased that Kretinsky could increase his stake to 40 per cent, which would be matched by Sullivan.
The IFR’s involvement adds another layer of uncertainty to a club already preparing for life in the Championship following relegation from the Premier League. Any finding that Sullivan is unsuitable under the regulator’s owners’ test could potentially force him to sell his shares.
