Sir Cliff Lawyers Hit Out Over Police Letter

Sir Cliff Richard's lawyers have criticised the Home Affairs Committee over the release of a letter about the police investigation into sex abuse claims against the singer.

Sir Cliff's representatives said the disclosure was "unfair" and caused him "a further round of unnecessary and extremely damaging media coverage with no due process".

New developments in the case were revealed earlier this week in the letter, which was from South Yorkshire Police (SYP) to committee chairman Keith Vaz.

The letter revealed the police investigation into Sir Cliff has "increased significantly in size" and involves "more than one allegation".

But the complaint from Michael Simkins Solicitors to Mr Vaz says: "Plainly, it was not necessary for the SYP Letter to be published on any urgent basis, if at all.

"As a direct result of the decision of the committee to publish the SYP Letter, and to proactively send it to media organisations, our client has been exposed to a further round of unnecessary and extremely damaging media coverage, with no due process.

"Our client had no opportunity to comment or make submissions to the Committee in advance of publication, but had he been able to do so, the damage that has since been caused by the Committee's actions and by the SYP Letter would, most likely, have been avoided."

The firm also disputed the claim made in the police letter that the singer's lawyers had received verbal updates from detectives "about once a fortnight".

"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," the lawyers' letter continued.

"In addition to not knowing much about the claims of new allegations, our client has not, of course, been interviewed about them.

"Extensive media interest was hardly dampened by the Chairman of the Committee who appeared on television to discuss the contents of the SYP Letter on the same evening of its release.

"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.

"It is not how a criminal investigation should be conducted."

Referring to the suggestion in the police letter that the investigation has "increased significantly", the lawyers write: "This phrasing is curious and seems to us to be - at best - a loose use of language and at worst to be unnecessarily emotive."

In a letter of response, Mr Vaz said it is normal procedure to publish all evidence put before the committee.

"Unless a letter or document is marked private and confidential it has always been the policy of the committee to publish whatever we receive.

"South Yorkshire Police specifically asked for the redaction of certain parts of the letter before publication."

It continued: "In the past, the committee has written to ask for your comments on the matters that have been raised by both South Yorkshire Police and the BBC.

"You have previously declined to do so."

Claims that the investigation has expanded come after the 74-year-old was questioned last August by detectives looking at allegations of a sexual offence against a boy in 1985, which he vehemently denies.