Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Kevin Spacey faces six allegations of sexual assault in the UK

Actor Kevin Spacey has been questioned in the US by the Metropolitan Police over sex assault allegations in the UK, according to Variety magazine.

Variety said Scotland Yard detectives travelled to the US in May to interview the Oscar-winner under caution.

He faces six allegations of sexual assault in the UK between 1996 and 2013. Police said he was voluntarily interviewed - he was not arrested.

Spacey faces a number of sexual assault allegations, which he denies.

While the Metropolitan Police did not name Spacey, a spokeswoman said: "In May 2019, a man was voluntarily interviewed under caution in America, by officers from the Met's Complex Case Team.

"He was not arrested. Inquiries are ongoing."

Spacey, 59, was artistic director at London's The Old Vic theatre between 2004 and 2015.

The latest development emerged a day after a man who claimed Spacey groped him in the US in 2016 dropped his civil case.

The unnamed man had been seeking unspecified damages over Spacey's alleged "explicit sexual behaviour" at a Nantucket bar.

Spacey still faces a criminal charge in the US and pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in January.

Overall, Spacey has faced allegations of sexual assault from more than 30 men.

The first allegation came from the actor Anthony Rapp in November 2017.

Mr Rapp claimed Spacey had made sexual advances to him in 1986 when he was 14 years old and Spacey was 26.

Mr Spacey claimed to have no memory of the events, but publicly apologised. He has since issued an "absolute" denial of the other allegations that later emerged.