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Sir Cliff could sue BBC

cliffrichardSir Cliff Richard is believed to be preparing to sue the BBC for breach of privacy over the televised raid of his property in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on August 14.

The entertainer is also said to be considering legal action against the South Yorkshire Police.

The raid was undertaking by police investigating allegations of historic sexual abuse in 1985, which Sir Cliff denies. It was broadcast live from outside the building, but included aerial photos from a BBC helicopter.

When it appeared live on tv screens, Sir Cliff, 74, had not been publicly named by police. He has not been arrested or charged and has dismissed the allegations as “completely false”.

A BBC reporter at the time suggested it had been a “deliberate attempt by police to ensure maximum coverage”.

It has not been wholly clear how the BBC gained advance knowledge of the police action.

According to a report from the Home Affairs Select Committee last month, a senior South Yorkshire officer felt a BBC reporter had “blackmailed” its way to gaining exclusive access

After a BBC reporter made an initial approach to South Yorkshire saying he intended to run the story, the force “cut a deal” with him and played an “active part” in assisting the Corporation, the report said.

But a dossier of internal documents running to 37 pages shows how figures at the BBC worked with South Yorkshire Police before and then after the event to minimise the backlash which erupted over the coverage.

Scores of messages and phone calls and meetings took place between the two before and after the raid, according to the documents published by the Commons’ Home Affairs Select Committee.

Last month the Committee said South Yorkshire Police should apologise to Sir Cliff for the "enormous and irreparable damage" caused to his reputation.

Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the committee, had said: “South Yorkshire Police's handling of this situation was utterly inept.

"The force allowed itself to hand over sensitive information to a journalist and granted him privileged access to the execution of a search warrant.

“The force should have refused to cooperate and explained to senior BBC News executives why the premature broadcasting of a story, which they claimed the journalist threatened, would have prejudiced the investigation.

But the South Yorkshire force failed to notify Scotland Yard about the leak, the report said, which it described as “unsustainable”.