Author says there were 'real concerns' about David Walliams within publishing industry

Author and columnist Chloe Combi has said she had heard rumours that there were "real concerns" about David Walliams's behaviour within the publishing industry more than a decade ago. Combi told BBC News she had heard there were allegations about his "behaviour around young female staff" and says she was told in 2015 to warn schools that he was "not an appropriate booking".

An investigation by the Guardian and ITV News alleged that Walliams has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct, inappropriate behaviour and abusing his position, which he denies. In response to the Guardian and ITN report, a spokesperson for HarperCollins said the company had decided not to publish any new titles by Walliams and that it took "employee wellbeing extremely seriously".

At an event in 2015, Combi said she got speaking to someone "quite senior" in publishing, who warned her about Walliams. "We were talking about [the scheme] and possible writers who might be good for the project to work well with teenagers," Combi said.