‘It was like being hung out like live bait’

HERE are extracts of Sir Cliff Richard’s statement yesterday: ‘I have always maintained my innocence, co-operated fully with the investigation, and cannot understand why it has taken so long to get to this point!

‘Nevertheless, I am obviously thrilled that the vile accusations and the resulting investigation have finally been brought to a close. Ever since the highly publicised and BBC-filmed raid on my home I have chosen not to speak publicly.

‘Even though I was under pressure to “speak out”, other than to state my innocence, which was easy for me to do as I have never molested anyone in my life, I chose to remain silent. This was despite the widely-shared sense of injustice resulting from the high-profile fumbling of my case from day one.

‘I was named before I was even interviewed and for me that was like being hung out like live bait. It is obvious that such strategies simply increase the risk of attracting spurious claims which...forever tarnish the reputations of innocent people ... I feel very strongly that no innocent person should be treated in this way. I know the truth and in some peoples’ eyes the CPS’ announcement today doesn’t go far enough because it doesn’t expressly state that I am innocent; which of course I am. There lies the problem.

‘My reputation will not be fully vindicated because the CPS’ policy is to only say something general about there being “insufficient” evidence.

‘How can there be evidence for something that never took place! This is also a reason why people should never be named publicly until they have been charged unless there are exceptional circumstances.’