CHILDREN’S author and comedian David Walliams has been removed from the line-up for the Waterstones Children’s Book Festival, the book chain confirmed today.

The decision comes after the 54-year-old’s book publisher HarperCollins dropped him last week, following an investigation into allegations he had “harassed” young women.

One woman who raised concerns is reportedly understood to have left the company after reaching a settlement that included a five-figure payout.

A statement from Waterstones said: “HarperCollins have confirmed that David Walliams will no longer be appearing at our festival in Dundee.”

The festival will span three locations, including Lincoln, where it held its inaugural event earlier this year, and Taunton.

Walliams has been removed from the listed speakers list on the festival website.

The TV star, known for appearing in comedy shows including Come Fly With Me and Little Britain alongside Matt Lucas, is also an award-winning children’s author whose books have sold more than 60 million copies globally, according to the HarperCollins website.

Last week, the publisher said that “after careful consideration,” they would not be releasing any new titles from Walliams.

They added: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns.

“To respect the privacy of individuals, we do not comment on internal matters.”

A spokesperson for Mr Walliams said in a statement: “David has never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins.

“He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.”