Cliff ’s lawyer slams ‘unfair’ Vaz

SIR Cliff Richard’s lawyer last night slammed MPs for publishing a letter which revealed that the singer is facing more child abuse allegations.

Earlier this week, the home affairs select committee took the unusual step of releasing a letter confirming that the police investigation has ‘increased significantly in size’.

The correspondence, from the chief constable of South Yorkshire, David Crompton, also said officers were dealing with ‘more than one allegation’.

After the letter was published, Sir Cliff ’s lawyer, Gideon Benaim, wrote to the committee: ‘It is manifestly unfair to our client that he has again been put in a situation where speculation and rumours are rife, where he cannot defend himself because he is the subject of an investigation, and, where third parties appear to know more than he does.’

Mr Benaim, of Michael Simkins LLP, also lambasted committee chairman Keith Vaz for discussing the police letter on television.

He wrote: ‘It does of course remain the case that our client has neither been arrested nor charged with any offence and that he denies any wrongdoing whatsoever. In addition to not knowing much about the claims of new allegations, our client has not of course been interviewed about them.

‘Media interest was hardly dampened by the chairman of the committee who appeared on television to discuss the contents of the letter on the same evening of its release.’

Sir Cliff, 74, is now accused of sexually assaulting a total of three victims. Two new alleged victims have come forward since the singer’s £3million Berkshire home was raided last August by detectives investigating a claim of sexual assault on a teenage boy under 16 at a Christian rally in 1985.

South Yorkshire Police has set up a dedicated team under the name Operation Kaddie to investigate the allegations.