UK's Prince Andrew urged to cooperate with US over Epstein

Lawyers representing alleged victims of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Tuesday urged Britain's Prince Andrew to help US investigators, after a prosecutor said he had given "zero cooperation".

US lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents five women allegedly assaulted by Epstein, said the Duke of York has "a moral obligation" to meet with the FBI and that his failure to do so was "a disservice to the victims".

"It's long overdue for him to do it, or to explain why he will not do it, and he's done neither," she told BBC Radio.

"If he's done nothing wrong, which appears to be what he has claimed, then why won't he talk to law enforcement?" Andrew, 59, has strenuously denied claims he had sex with a 17-year-old girl procured by Epstein, a disgraced financier found dead in prison last August while awaiting charges of trafficking minors.

Queen Elizabeth II's second son, who was a long-time friend of his, said in November he was "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required."