Louis Walsh: 'Support means so much to me'

Louis Walsh has expressed his gratitude for the support he has received after accusations of indecent assault.

A 24-year-old man has alleged that he was indecently assaulted by the X Factor judge in the toilets of a Dublin nightclub in April. Walsh has strongly denied the claims, vowing to clear his name.

"It didn't happen so therefore there is no case to answer and I am extremely angry that someone is trying to tarnish my name and reputation," Walsh said in a statement.

"My phone has not stopped ringing with messages of support from around the world which means so much to me. I am hoping that this matter will be resolved as quickly as possible."

A spokesperson for the music manager commented: "He is back home in Ireland and has been co-operating fully with the Garda investigating the allegation.

"Louis is fully confident that this purported allegation will be resolved quickly and has taken full legal advice to vindicate his name and reputation following the outrageous publication of what are totally false inferences about him."

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Westlife, who were with Walsh in the nightclub at the time, have also given the 58-year-old their support.

"I have known him 15 years," Shane Filan told the News of the World. "There's no way he would ever act like that. It's an awful and malicious thing to suggest that he was drunk and acting inappropriately.

"I know he is going to clear his name. All of Westlife are behind him 100% and I would do anything to put the record straight."

Of their encounter with the accuser, the singer added: "Out of nowhere this guy came up to us and said he was going to be in a dance TV show. Louis wasn't talking to him any more than the rest of us. When I heard this I was flabbergasted."

> Louis Walsh 'unlikely to face charges over assault claims'