Sir Cliff Richard settles legal fight with police over live raid on his house

Sir Cliff Richard had been suing the police Credit: Brian Lawless/PA

Sir Cliff Richard has reached a settlement with police following a legal fight that started in the wake of their investigation into sex assault allegations made against him.

The singer had been suing the force and the BBC over the coverage of a raid at his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014 during the investigation.

According to Sir Cliff's barrister Justin Rushbrooke QC the police should not have made disclosures about its investigation into his client to the BBC as in doing so it had facilitated coverage which had been "shocking, humiliating and embarrassing" for the star.

Sir Cliff said the filming of officers searching his apartment - which led to him being publicly named as the subject of the long-running probe - infringed his right to respect for a private life.

A High Court judge hearing the case was told on Friday that Sir Cliff and South Yorkshire Police had come to terms and reached a settlement regarding the issue.

Although the exact settlement sum was not disclosed, the force has reportedly agreed to pay "substantial damages", to compensate for "unlawful" conduct.

Sir Cliff is also suing the BBC after they filmed outside his house during the raid Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

The investigation into Sir Cliff centred on accusations dating between 1958 and 1983 made by four men.

He was never arrested or charges and his case was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service, on grounds of insufficient evidence, in June last year.

Sir Cliff and the BBC remain in dispute over the filming of the raid on his house and the airing of the footage.

A BBC spokeswoman said after Friday's court hearing that the news outlet has a "responsibility to report news stories that are in the public interest".

She said: "Against the extensive disclosure of historic child sexual abuse by figures of high public prominence, we consider that the report into the investigation into Sir Cliff for such an offence, and the decision by police to search his premises was such a news story and that the BBC had a duty to report it.

"The police decision to settle the claim against them by Sir Cliff because of how they handled the investigation doesn't change the fundamental principle that journalistic organisations should be able to report on the police and police investigations into individuals."