Boy George held over male 'escort's' sex kidnap claims

Auden Carlsen, 28, claimed he was grabbed by the singer and another man and chained up after the star invited him to his house in Shoreditch to pose for photographs.

The singer's brother Kevin O'Dowd has come to the his defense, saying: "It's all rubbish. George isn't a bit worried."

Mr Carlsen claimed he met the former Culture Club star on the website Gaydar, and agreed to go to his flat at midnight as a £400 photographic model.

He denied he was working as an escort.

But the Norwegian said he feared for his life when Boy George pounced on him and tied him up.

"I was convinced I was going to die," he said. "George handcuffed me to a hook by the bed as they held me down."

He alleges that Boy George, whose hits include Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?, produced a box of whips and sex toys and told him: "Now you'll get what you deserve."

Mr Carlsen claims he escaped by pulling the hook from the wall and fleeing to a nearby newsagent's at 6.30am on Saturday, from where he alerted the police.

Scotland Yard today confirmed they are investigating an allegation of false imprisonment and common assault, believed to have occurred in the early hours of Saturday.

A spokesman added: "Hackney CID is investigating and a man in his forties has been arrested in connection with the allegation.

"He was taken to an east London police station but has subsequently been bailed to return on a date in July."

The 45-year-old singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, was unavailable for comment.

Last summer Boy George was ordered to sweep the streets of New York for five days after he admitted wasting police time.

He was given the community service sentence after pleading guilty to falsely reporting a burglary at his apartment in Manhattan.