Granada sacks John Leslie

Granada has terminated John Leslie's contract in the wake of sexual assault allegations by a number of women.

The decision comes on the day a fourth woman came forward to make an official police complaint about sexual assault by the disgraced This Morning presenter.

The woman alleges that she was indecently assaulted by Leslie in London last year.

The 37-year-old Scot has, through friends, denied an allegation that he raped Ulrika Jonsson, but has not yet made any statement explaining the sex and drugs allegations against him.

Leslie's bosses at television company Granada couriered him a letter demanding his side of the story. It is understood the company was keen to give him a chance to put his case following the rape claims, and also wanted him to explain newspaper pictures showing him snorting cocaine.

However he failed to respond, and as a result, he has now been sacked from his £200,000-a-year job co-hosting This Morning.

In a statement Granada said: "We have given John Leslie every opportunity to give his response to the allegations made against him.

"We have asked him what he intends doing to challenge them, and as yet we've had no response.

"As a result it is no longer possible for him to present This Morning.

"We have therefore formally terminated Granada's contract with him today. ITV agrees with this course of action."

As many as 30 women have come forward to say they have been assaulted by the former Blue Peter presenter - four of whom have now spoken to police.

The allegations follow Ulrika Jonsson's revelation that she had been date-raped in a hotel when she was 19.

She has refused to name her attacker and says she will not speak to police about the incident.