ACTOR MICHAEL WARD, who is best known for starring in television drama Top Boy, has been charged with rape and sexual assault. 

The 27-year-old is charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, the Metropolitan Police said.

The alleged offences relate to one woman and are reported to have taken place in January 2023. 

Ward, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, will appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 28 August. 

“Our specialist officers continue to support the woman who has come forward,” Detective Superintendent Scott Ware said.  

“We know investigations of this nature can have significant impact on those who make reports.”

The Jamaican-born actor was awarded the Bafta Rising Star honour in 2020. He was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Bafta for his role in BBC’s Small Axe in 2021 and the 2022 film Empire Of Light.

His latest film Eddington, which he has a role in alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone, will be released next month.