Actor Noel Clarke Arrested at London Home Amid Ongoing Investigation

Published: 26 September 2025, The English Chronicle Desk

Actor and filmmaker Noel Clarke has been arrested by police at his family home in Kensington, London, as part of an ongoing investigation. Officers were seen leaving the property on Thursday carrying boxes reportedly containing a laptop and documents, as detectives conducted a thorough search.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the investigation is being led by the central specialist crime command and began on 1 September this year. Clarke, known for his roles in Doctor Who and the Kidulthood trilogy, was arrested and questioned in custody before being released. Authorities have not disclosed the reasons for the arrest.

Clarke, 49, has previously been the subject of high-profile legal proceedings. In August, the Guardian successfully defended a libel claim brought by Clarke related to an investigation in which more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct. The high court ruling, delivered by Mrs Justice Steyn, rejected Clarke’s claims, finding the newspaper’s reporting to be both truthful and in the public interest.

In her judgment, Justice Steyn noted that while some of Clarke’s evidence was accepted, he was not considered a credible or reliable witness overall. She described a pattern in which Clarke admitted only what could be corroborated by documentary evidence and even then only minimally. The court found no foundation for his claim that the Guardian had engaged in a conspiracy to defame him.

The Guardian’s case relied on testimonies from nearly 30 individuals, 26 of whom provided court statements about their experiences working with Clarke. Witnesses described a range of inappropriate behaviour, with some recounting direct interactions and others observing misconduct. Clarke had sued Guardian News & Media over seven articles and a podcast published between April 2021 and March 2022, which detailed allegations of sexual misconduct by the actor and filmmaker.

Clarke rose to prominence as Mickey Smith in the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras of Doctor Who between 2005 and 2010. He expanded his career into film, appearing in Star Trek Into Darkness and SAS: Rise of the Black Swan, while also writing and directing the Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood series. He later starred in the police drama Bulletproof, becoming a prominent figure in the British film industry.

In 2009, Clarke was awarded the Rising Star prize at the BAFTA Film Awards. In 2021, he received BAFTA’s Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema honour; however, both the award and his BAFTA membership were suspended following the publication of allegations by the Guardian.

The latest developments mark another chapter in Clarke’s complicated public and professional life, as authorities continue to investigate the allegations and the broader context surrounding them. The case underscores ongoing concerns about misconduct in the British entertainment industry and the accountability of high-profile figures.

The Metropolitan Police have declined further comment on the ongoing investigation, emphasizing that inquiries are continuing and that no conclusions should be drawn at this stage.