The heavy-handed nature of some of the arrests is also troubling. Why was it necessary to nick Davidson as he arrived at Heathrow Airport, as if he was some kind of international terrorism suspect
What was the urgency? And if there is an overwhelming case against him, why has he been released without charge until March?
Police also raided one of Davidson’s homes in Hampshire and emerged carrying boxes of ‘evidence’.
Were they seriously expecting to find evidence of a 25-year-old sexual assault tucked away in a sock drawer?
Over the past quarter of a century, five-times married Davidson has lived in more homes than most.

Stuart Hall, who is 82, was arrested at his Cheshire home in a full-scale dawn raid. What were they expecting him to do — leg it over the back wall or try to blast his way out with a sawn-off, screaming: ‘You’ll never take me alive, copper!’
Just before Christmas, Greater Manchester Police smashed down the front door of Fred Talbot, former weatherman on This Morning with Richard and Judy, in connection with an allegation which dates back to the early Seventies.
Talbot was on holiday in the Caribbean. Given that the police wanted to question him over a complaint about something which is alleged to have taken place when he was working as a teacher 40-odd years ago, couldn’t they just have waited until he got back and invited him in for an interview?
I wonder if these mob-handed, high-profile arrests are intended to create an impression of guilt, like the notorious American ‘perp walk’ where suspects are paraded in front of the cameras.
Even if no charges are eventually brought, even if they are tried and found innocent, some of these celebrities will find it difficult to shake off the stigma of their arrest. No doubt speculation about their ‘crimes’ is already running rampant on the internet.
The sheer scale of these assorted investigations appears designed to suggest there’s no smoke without fire. There are now more coppers working on phone-hacking and related issues than investigating murder and armed robbery.
There are more officers on the Savile inquiry than working on child protection. Given that no fewer than 30 cops have also been assigned to the alleged conspiracy to ‘fit up’ the former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell, we are entitled to wonder who’s minding the shop. Still, I’m sure it’s much more exciting nicking TV personalities and disc jockeys than it is investigating more mundane crimes.