BBC sports reporter Stuart Hall arrested over 'historic' rape claims The veteran sports broadcaster Stuart Hall, the former presenter of It's A Knockout now known to millions of football fans for his florid match reports on BBC Radio 5 Live, has been arrested and questioned over historic allegations of rape and indecent assault, it emerged tonight. The 82-year-old, who has a broadcasting career stretching back 50 years, was arrested at his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, yesterday morning. He was taken for questioning by detectives from Lancashire Police, and last night remained in custody. Hall rose to national fame as the host of It's A Knockout between 1972 and 1982 before going on to become a BBC television fixture as the original host of A Question of Sport and Going, Going, Gone. Lancashire Police said the arrest was over "historical allegations" of rape and indecent assault but would not officially confirm the identity of the man arrested. "We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously," said a spokeswoman. She added: "We would encourage people with any information about sexual abuse or who has been a victim to come forward and report their concerns, confident in the knowledge it will be investigated appropriately and with sensitivity." Police officers arrived at Mr Hall's home at around 8am and stayed until 2pm, before leaving carrying two bin bags full of evidence. Two marked police vehicles remained the driveway of his home for several hours. A member of his family told The Daily Telegraph: "It's all allegations, there's no charges, no convictions." Mr Hall is currently a football correspondent for BBC Radio 5 Live, where his weekend match reports have acquired cult status for being scattered with allusions to the works of William Shakespeare. When asked whether the arrest was in any way connected with the Metropolitan Police's Operation Yewtree investigation into hundreds of cases of alleged sexual abuse by the late Jimmy Savile and others, the Lancashire Police woman said: "I can tell you it isn't." The musician Gary Glitter and comedian Freddie Starr were arrested and bailed under Yewtree last month. BBC DJ Dave Lee Travis and a man in his 70s were arrested and bailed earlier in November as part of the operation classed as "others." Last December, Mr Hall was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list for services to broadcasting and charity. It's a recognition that you've put something in. I've worked for charity now for the last 52 years, I've raised millions of pounds and it's a little thank you," he said at the time. A BBC Radio 5 Live spokeswoman said: "We cannot comment because nobody has been formally identified yet." She added that Mr Hall was not working this weekend, but it is understood he may not have been scheduled to anyway.