PUBLIC relations guru Max Clifford is a "good, decent man", actress Pauline Quirke has told a court.

"The word I've always associated with Max, since I've known him, is the word integrity," the Birds Of A Feather star said.

She was giving evidence for Mr Clifford, 70, at London's Southwark Crown Court, where he is standing trial accused of 11 counts of indecent assault against seven girls and women, all of which he denies.

Quirke told the court she had known Mr Clifford for 20 years.

She said: "We are good friends, we've been out for dinner, Max has been to my house for dinner, I've been to his house, he was at my wedding, I was at his wedding."

Asked by Richard Horwell QC, defending, how well she had got to know Mr Clifford, she said: "We didn't have any holidays together, or that sort of thing, but I would say he's a good, decent man, yeah.

"I've been in his company on a number of occasions and found him very down to earth, a normal, decent man."

Carmen Almeida, who worked from 1987 as manager of a beauty salon at a hairdresser's below Clifford's office in New Bond Street, said: "It was a normal atmosphere, I had no reason for concern whatsoever.

"There was no gossip or anything that would have concerned me."