BBC ordered by judge to reveal more details about Cliff Richard sexual assault investigation source

A judge has ordered the BBC to provide lawyers for Sir Cliff Richard with more information about the police source which tipped the broadcaster off about a sexual assault investigation.

The 76-year-old singer is suing the BBC for breach of privacy after it filmed police raiding his home as part of an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault.


Lawyers representing Sir Cliff wanted more detail about the source.



The judge has said BBC bosses must provide a “proper answer” to the question Sir Cliff had asked about whether the source came from “within Operation Yewtree”.


Lawyers representing the singer say he has suffered ”profound and long-lasting” damage.

BBC editors have said they will ”defend ourselves vigorously”.

A spokesman said the BBC had reported Sir Cliff’s ”full denial of the allegations at every stage”.

Lawyers have told how in late 2013 a man had made an allegation to the Metropolitan Police, saying he had been sexually assaulted by Sir Cliff at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane football stadium, in Sheffield, when a child in 1985.



Mr Justice Mann has overseen a number of preliminary hearings.

Any trial is expected to take place next year.

Sir Cliff had also sued South Yorkshire Police.

The judge was last week told how that dispute had settled after the force agreed to pay the singer “substantial” damages.

Sir Cliff has alleged misuse of private information, infringement of his human right to respect for private life and a breach of data protection legislation.

Mr Justice Mann said the singer wanted to know whether the BBC’s source was from “within Operation Yewtree” or someone who had obtained information from Operation Yewtree.

He said he had weighed Sir Cliff’s rights to a fair trial against journalists’ rights to protect sources before reaching a decision.

“There is no real risk of the answer leading to the identification of the source,” said the judge.

“If (Sir Cliff’s) privacy rights have been invaded, he has a good case for saying that he needs the information in order to vindicate those rights.”

The judge added: “A fair trial, with the benefit of being able to argue that which can legitimately be argued, requires that the question be answered.”

He went on: “The BBC must provide a proper answer to the question posed.”






2 thoughts on “BBC ordered by judge to reveal more details about Cliff Richard sexual assault investigation source”

  1. It is such a shame it happens all over europe at the moment. The police stuff reacts without having used their brain in the first place. The same is seen in Switzerland. Bevor the police ever thinks about a complaint – they react and take coercive measure and as a matter of fact, insult quite often innocnt people. It happened also to mee in Zurich. The police shoult work with more thoroughness in Europe.

  2. It’s not individual operational officers, these decisions are made by high ranking officers, most of whom in the last 35 years have come from university with privileged backgrounds , their only consideration is career advancement at any cost. They have never seen an angry man. Most have never led an investigation into a serious crime, murder, serial rapist etc. They have no respect or understanding of the career detective or indeed recognise that there is a requirement for such expertise. Academics and Liberals are in part to blame, they formed political opinion. It was beyond their concept that a working class lad without higher education could be an effective senior investigating officers. They were not perfect breed, they did make mistakes, but considerably fewer than the current bunch. Catching criminals is an organic act, not academic, you can either do it or you can’t. Why do Academics and Liberals not get this, perhaps they are worried about job security.

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