Comedian Jim Davidson has backed plans to limit pre-charge bail to 28 days and said having a statute of limitations for sex crimes was “not a bad idea”.

The controversial performer spent a year on police bail after being arrested by officers investigating Operation Yewtree – launched in response to the Jimmy Saville scandal – before all action against him was dropped.

On March 23, home secretary Theresa May announced plans to limit the period a person can be bailed for without charge to 28 days, to be extended only in “exceptional circumstances”, to a maximum of three months.

Speaking to getwestlondon shortly before the announcement, Mr Davidson, 61, said: “I really don’t know about bail. All I do know is I was on bail for a year and it is a nightmare. You don’t know what’s happening.

“But then again it gave me a year to collate all the information I did and give it to the Crown Prosecution Service, who decided there’ll be no further action.

“If they were to reduce the bail to 28 days, which I believe is what they’re looking to do, I think that’s a good thing.

“And also, I think there is the right that they’re talking about for the police to extend that bail, because 28 days is not long enough, for instance, to investigate what’s in a computer.

“But to keep people on bail indefinitely is awful, and I think counterproductive.

“That’s my views. But I’m not an expert. I’m only saying that because it was horrible and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

Mr Davidson, who won TV’s Big Brother in January last year, also voiced support for the idea of having a statute of limitations for alleged sexual offences, such as already exists in the US.

The law in America has made it impossible for comedian Bill Cosby to be prosecuted for a raft of allegations made against him, as some of his alleged crimes date back to the 1970s.

Mr Davidson, whose arrests in 2013 were over alleged offences supposedly committed decades ago, and were later dismissed, said: “I’ve not been following his [Bill Cosby’s] case. It isn’t a case, is it? It’s just accusations.

“They have different laws in America. They have a limitation on how long you can wait before you make an accusation. That’s not a bad idea, is it really?”

Addressing the media’s publication of alleged victims’ accounts of alleged sexual offences, he added: “They’re not called alleged victims any more. They’re called victims. They’re not even called complainants any more. They’re called victims. Right from the word go – victims.

“I don’t know the answer to that. That is for men in wigs, not me.”

Mr Davidson was speaking to getwestlondon ahead of a scheduled performance at the Comedy Bunker, in Ruislip, on April 17.

For the full interview, click here.