Police ‘strong-armed’ into giving Sir Cliff raid tip-off
SOUTH Yorkshire Police say they were “strongarmed” into giving a BBC reporter information about an investigation into Sir Cliff Richard, a High Court judge has heard.
The BBC denied the allegation, Mr Justice Mann was told.
Sir Cliff has sued the BBC – and South Yorkshire Police – over reports naming him as a suspected sex offender.
BBC editors have said they will “defend ourselves vigorously’’.
Detail of rival claims emerged at a preliminary hearing before Mr Justice Mann at the High Court in London yesterday.
The singer was not at the hearing.
Sir Cliff has taken legal action after coverage of a police raid at his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014.
In a written submission, lawyers representing Sir Cliff said he had suffered “profound and longlasting’’ damage.
They say he has sold the apartment that was raided because the prospect of living somewhere that had been “so publicly violated’’ distressed him.
They say the furore threw his “creative and business plans’’ into disarray – and forced him to delay the release of an album of “rock’n’roll classics”.
And they say he has run up more than £1 million in lawyers’ bills.
In December, a BBC spokeswoman said bosses would defend coverage.
“As we have said on several occasions, we are very sorry that Sir Cliff Richard has suffered distress,’’ she said.
“However, we have now submitted our response to this claim and will defend ourselves vigorously.”
She added: “It is the BBC’s responsibility to report fully stories that are in the public interest. Police investigations into prominent figures in public life are, of course, squarely in the public interest.’’
The spokeswoman said “at every stage’’ the BBC reported Sir Cliff’s “full denial of the allegations’’.
In June, South Yorkshire Police apologised “wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused’’ to Sir Cliff.
“South Yorkshire Police’s case is that they were effectively strong-armed into co-operating,” said Justin Rushbrooke, QC.
“The BBC say not so. All [a reporter] did was to say he knew that [Sir Cliff] was being investigated by police.”