CLIFF: MY BBC HELL
Singer sues over raid
SIR Cliff Richard took the BBC to court yesterday over “damaging” coverage of a police raid on his home.
The singer is demanding “very substantial” compensation.
His lawyer said the broadcasts led to “profound and long-lasting damage”.
Sir Cliff’s barrister Justin Rushbrooke QC told the High Court in London that the BBC filming of a police search of his apartment was a “serious invasion” of privacy.
The search of the property in Sunningdale, Berks, followed an allegation of sexual assault.
Mr Rushbrooke complained of TV cameras being used to “spy into someone’s home”.
Sir Cliff, 77, always denied wrongdoing and was not charged with any offence. Mr Rushbrooke said the investigation was “private information and there was no public interest in the disclosure of this information to the millions of viewers and website readers around the world”.
He added: “The way that the BBC went about publishing the story was so disproportionate, and so intrusive, as to render it unlawful.”
Mr Rushbrooke said Sir Cliff was entitled to “very substantial” compensation to reflect the “flagrant way” the BBC went about “breaching his rights”.
He said: “It is hard to encapsulate in words the sense of panic and powerlessness that must have been induced in him.”
A Beeb spokesman has said the BBC reported Sir Cliff ’s “full denial of the allegations at every stage”.
Sir Cliff had also sued South Yorkshire Police. But the court has been told how that dispute was settled after the force agreed to pay the singer more than £400,000.
Sir Cliff, who was in court yesterday, looked emotional as BBC and ITV broadcasts on the day of the raid were shown.
Broadcaster Gloria Hunniford told the court of the “effect” the coverage had on Sir Cliff, who is her “close friend”.
The hearing was also attended by Jonathan Munro, head of newsgathering at the BBC.
Beeb bosses argued the raid was a “matter of legitimate public interest”.
The hearing continues.