Detectives are assessing a number of new reports about Russell Brand after the comedian was jailed for rape and sexual assaults, the Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday.

Several people have contacted the investigation team during and since Brand's trial, the force said, either to pass on information or to report a potential criminal allegation. Detectives are assessing the information as part of their ongoing enquiries.

Brand, 51, was sentenced to ten and a half years in prison at Southwark Crown Court on Monday 9 November, after a jury found him guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. The offences took place between 2004 and 2009. He had denied all the charges.

What the police said today

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Several people have contacted the investigation team during and since the trial to provide information or report a potential criminal allegation. Detectives are assessing this information as part of their ongoing enquiries."

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the investigation into Brand, told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday that officers had received several reports during the trial and since it ended. He had encouraged further victims to come forward after the guilty verdicts last week.

No new charges have been announced in connection with the latest reports. The reports are allegations being assessed by detectives, not proven offences.

Two earlier allegations still under investigation

The new reports come on top of two further rape allegations against Brand that detectives confirmed last week were already under investigation. One of those allegations involves a woman who was 16 at the time.

Brand has previously been interviewed under caution in connection with both allegations, and files have been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to both complainants. Detectives remain in close contact with prosecutors while enquiries continue.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said on Friday 6 November that he would not be surprised if more people came forward following the conviction, saying cases involving prominent individuals can encourage others to report experiences they had previously been reluctant to discuss.

Former partner speaks out

Former girlfriend Jemima Goldsmith wrote on social media on Monday that she had called the police about Brand during an altercation at her house in 2014, but had not pressed any charges. She said she was glad and relieved that Brand had finally faced justice.

Brand was once one of Britain's best-known broadcasters, hosting a spin-off show to Big Brother on Channel 4 before moving into Hollywood films. In recent years he moved away from mainstream broadcasting. He has always maintained that he only ever had consensual sex.

Anyone with information can contact the Metropolitan Police investigation team. Support is available from the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre and other specialist services.