British
singer Cliff Richard questioned again over alleged sex
crimes
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[November 06, 2015] LONDON
(Reuters) - Singer Cliff Richard, one of Britain's
best-known entertainers, has been questioned again by
police investigating allegations of historical sex
crimes, his spokesman said on Friday.
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Richard, 75, voluntarily met officers from South Yorkshire
Police which launched an inquiry last year into allegations that
date back to the 1980s and involve an under-age boy.
"He was not arrested or charged, nor has he ever been. He
co-operated fully with officers and answered the questions put
to him," his spokesman said.
"Other than restating that the allegations are completely false
and that he will continue to co-operate fully with the police,
it would not be appropriate for Sir Cliff to say anything
further at this time."
South Yorkshire Police said its inquiries were ongoing and the
investigation continued. In February, the force's chief
constable said the investigation had "increased significantly in
size".
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Richard, born Harry Webb in 1940 and who was called Britain's
Elvis Presley early in his career, has had 14 No. 1 singles in
Britain. He is the only singer to have topped the UK singles
chart in five consecutive decades, from the 50s to the 90s.
With his backing group The Shadows, Richard, who was knighted by
Queen Elizabeth in 1995, was one of Britain's most successful
performers in the pre-Beatles era of the late 1950s and early
1960s.
Richard was first interviewed by detectives after police raided
his home in August last year when he was on holiday. The search
was filmed by the BBC after the broadcaster was given advance
warning.
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That raid led to criticism from lawmakers who described the
co-operation between the police and the BBC as "inept" and causing
"irreparable damage" to the singer's reputation.
After police revealed the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile had used
his fame to sexually abuse hundreds of victims over decades,
detectives have launched a series of investigations into
high-profile British celebrities over allegations of sex crimes.
A number of household names have been jailed and there are ongoing
inquiries into a string of claims that powerful figures including
senior politicians were involved in pedophile rings.
However, critics and well-known figures who have been arrested but
later cleared of wrongdoing have said many of those accused are
victims of a witch hunt, unfounded rumors or the claims of
fantasists.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by William Schomberg)
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