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German police have opened an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Till Lindemann, the frontman of metal band Rammstein.

A number of women have alleged they were recruited for sex at concerts.

One fan, Shelby Lynn, from Northern Ireland, recently told the ����ý she believed her drink had been spiked and she had been "groomed for sex".

Mr Lindemann, 60, has denied the allegations, with his lawyers calling the claims "without exception untrue".

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Berlin public prosecution's office said: "Preliminary proceedings have been initiated against Till Lindemann on allegations relating to sexual offences and the distribution of narcotics."

Prosecutors opened the investigation on their own initiative as well as "on the basis of several criminal complaints filed by third parties", referring to people not directly involved in the alleged incidents, according to the AFP news agency.

Ms Lynn, 24, first posted her account on social media last month, and later told the ����ý there was an "organised system of funnelling girls" and she was ushered into a small room at a show in Lithuania, but left when Mr Lindemann arrived because she suspected it was "a sex thing".

Her accusations triggered a wave of other sexual misconduct allegations, with some - like Ms Lynn - suspecting they were pre-selected on social media by a Russian woman, believed to have been a "recruiter" for Mr Lindemann, who invited them to parties before and after the show.

A spokesman for the band told the ����ý that it is was conducting an internal investigation into the claims and interviewing staff and crew as part of the enquiry.

The German industrial metal group, formed in 1993 and known for their theatrical shows and controversial lyrics, have reached the top three in the UK album chart with their last two albums.