More than 40 celebrities have signed an open letter saying the press have been unfair to TV star Matthew Kelly after he was held on child abuse allegations.

The celebrities, who include Pete Postlethwaite, Miranda Richardson, Alan Rickman and Robert Lindsay, said the star was a "gentle and caring man".

"The picture of him that is currently being painted in some quarters of the national press is one we deplore" The letter signed by Julie Walters and others

Mr Kelly was last week held in connection with "historic allegations" of sexual abuse against boys last week in the UK, and his homes in London and Sri Lanka searched.

The press has featured the story almost daily since the allegations were made public.

The entertainer emphatically denies the allegations. He has not been charged and is on police bail until 12 March.

The letter, due to be sent to national papers, was organised by actor George Costigan, who appeared in the films Rita, Sue And Bob Too and Shirley Valentine.

It reads: "As friends and colleagues of Matthew Kelly (some whose association with him goes back to the late 60s and 70s) we wish to record our pride and pleasure in working with this gentle and caring man.

Some of the signatories

Alan Rickman Pete Postlethwaite Les Dennis Miranda Richardson Julie Walters Amanda Holden Jonathan Pryce Alan Bleasdale Bill Nighy Willy Russell Anthony Sher

"The picture of him that is currently being painted in some quarters of the national press is one we deplore and do not recognise."

Bill Nighy, Kate Fahy, Jonathan Pryce, Julie Walters, Alan Bleasdale and Anthony Sher have also put their names to the letter.

Many of the signatories know Mr Kelly from his early days as an actor, before he became a household name as co-presenter of TV show Game For A Laugh.

Walters and Postlethwaite ran a theatre company with Kelly called Van Load in the early 1970s, which toured Merseyside clubs performing Bleasdale's work.

Mr Kelly also appeared in the Willy Russell musical Blood Brothers.

Mr Kelly's TV career was thought to be in jeopardy after the allegations were made public last week.

Davina McCall was brought in as a replacement for three specials of the presenter's long-running ITV1 talent show Stars In Their Eyes.

But yesterday ITV decided not to cut a clip Mr Kelly had filmed on the Trans-Siberian train for the holiday programme Wish You Were Here.