Russell Brand’s actions ‘horrifying’, says Burnham as he praises victims

Andy Burnham has praised the courage of Russell Brand’s victims as police chiefs prepare for a flood of further allegations against the rapist comedian.Brand faces years in prison after he was convicted of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three women during his showbiz heyday.The 51-year-old preyed on women he encountered while becoming one of Britain’s best-known stand-up comedians, a lauded TV and radio host, and a Hollywood movie star.Prime Minister Andy Burnham praised the bravery of Brand’s victims (PA)PA WireHe told Times Radio he would “like to praise the bravery of the women, the victims in the case, who’ve come forward and had the courage to speak out”.Read MoreTwo further allegations against Brand are already being investigated and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he expected more victims to come forward.He told LBC Radio: “At the moment, we’ve got two other victims who’ve come forward who want to tell their story, and so two rape cases we’re investigating. I wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more come forward, and we’re open to that.”Asked if he expected the number of new allegations against Brand to be in “double figures”, Sir Mark said: “I’m not going to guess on this, but we’ve seen in the past with high-profile individuals who are brought to justice that it does often bring out a flood of other cases. Let’s see where this one goes.”