Ex-Bay City Rollers musicians take rape allegation to police

Two former members of the 1970s pop band the Bay City Rollers claimed yesterday that one of them had nearly been raped almost 30 years ago during a tour of Australia.

Les McKeown, the former frontman, accompanied Pat McGlynn, the guitarist to make an official complaint to police about the alleged perpetrator.

They allege that he attempted to rape Mr McGlynn in a hotel in Melbourne in 1976.

Mr McKeown, 47, claimed that he stopped the rape. "I had to jump on the man and get him round his neck and pull him off," he said. "He tried to make out it was just a bit of fun, but if I hadn't gone back when I did Pat would have been raped. I went into the room and saw the man on top of him, trying to rape him." Mr McGlynn left the band in 1977, a year after the alleged attack.

Mr McGlynn, who lives in Edinburgh with his wife and daughter, claims that in the 27 years since the alleged attack he has often complained to police. But he said that police had been unable to act because Mr McKeown had refused to back up his claims.

"This is the happiest day of my life," said Mr McGlynn, 45, yesterday. "I have tried for years to get someone to believe me that the man pounced on me and tried to rape me. But I was just one person with one voice. Now I have Les to back me up."

The Bay City Rollers were formed in 1967 by brothers Alan and Derek Longmuir. They were later joined by Mr McKeown, Stuart "Woody" Wood, Eric Faulkner and Mr McGlynn. Their popularity peaked in the Seventies and they had a loyal following a thousands of screaming girl fans who introduced the word Rollermania into the English language.

They caused hysteria at appearances across the globe, selling 300 million records with a string of hits including Shang-a-Lang, Remember and Summerlove Sensation. In 1975 they even topped the American charts with the single Saturday Night. Their popularity began to wane. Since the break-up of the original band in the late 1970s the group members have been embroiled in a dispute over alleged missing royalties payments.

Three years ago, Derek Longmuir, the former drummer, was convicted of possessing child pornography. He had pleaded guilty to charges relating to possessing indecent photographs, videos and computer disks of children at his Edinburgh home. He was sentenced to 300 hours' community service and had his name placed on the sex offenders register. He is not the man accused in the latest allegation.

Mr McKeown has written a book due, Shang-a-Lang, Life as an International Pop Idol to be released next month which charts the rise and fall of the Scottish band while supposedly lifting the lid on the their squeaky-clean image.

Mr McKeown denied making the allegations to boost publicity for the book.

It is understood that Mr McKeown, who lives in London, made contact with Mr McGlynn earlier this year and the two of them decided to speak out.

The alleged perpetrator said: "I have never tried to rape Pat McGlynn. I have never even looked at Pat McGlynn as a sex object. It is no coincidence that McKeown is making this and other allegations as he has a book coming out. I think the police will be disgusted with what these two are doing."

Last night a spokesman for Lothian and Borders police said any complaint "would be dealt with in the appropriate manner".