Cliff ‘ fight for law changes’

STAR RETURNING TO UK, SAY PALS

CLIFF Richard will return to Britain to fight for a reform of the law once he beats child sex claims, according to friends.

The music legend has been plagued for two years by allegations that he abused boys during the 1980s.

The stress has driven Sir Cliff, 75, to live between his homes in New York, Portugal and Barbados in an attempt to forge an anonymous lifestyle.

Prosecutors are mulling a file of evidence submitted by police. Sir Cliff’s pals are confident he will be cleared and say he will then press for a change to the law, granting anonymity to those accused of sex attacks.

They also revealed he has won private backing from two knighted singing stars this week.

DJ Paul Gambaccini, who also faced false sex abuse claims, said: “I can understand why he’s keeping out of this country. The rest of the world is not having a witch-hunt, only here.

“As soon as people get outside these borders, a sane perspective is restored. The agony the police have put Sir Cliff through is limited to Britain. He will only come back to fight for law reform. He is grateful for the support of two musical knights in the past week.” Sir Cliff faces a wait of weeks to learn if he will be charged. His ordeal began in August 2014, when South Yorkshire Police raided his Berkshire home. A week later, he was voluntarily interviewed under caution over claims he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy at a Christian rally in 1985. Two more alleged victims have since come forward but Sir Cliff has never been arrested and denies all allegations.