BBC and police under attack over raid on Cliff Richard's Berkshire home
The BBC and police come under attack over a deal done to get exclusive access to the raid on the pop star's home over child sex allegations
The BBC has been accused of participating in a "witch-hunt" and behaving like the worst tabloid newspapers after using knowledge of the investigation into British singer Cliff Richard to gain exclusive access to the raid on his property.
The corporation and police investigation are under growing pressure from politicians and public figures over their apparent collusion in broadcasting images of the raid on Richard's mansion in Berkshire, southeast England, on Thursday. The search was part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on a boy at an evangelical rally in 1985.
The BBC filmed and broadcast the raid live from a helicopter above Richard's residence.
On Sunday, the human right's lawyer Geoffrey Robertson questioned the legality of the warrant used and talk-show host Michael Parkinson said the BBC's actions "would have done the red tops [tabloid newspapers] credit".
On Saturday, South Yorkshire police admitted they had struck a deal with the broadcaster after a BBC reporter learned of their investigation into Richard and approached the force with the story, weeks before the raid.
Police said they had reluctantly given the broadcaster exclusive information before the raid.