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POLICE IN ENGLAND have said they did not tip off the media before searching Cliff Richard’s house over reports of an alleged sex offence.
However investigating officers said that they did “work with” journalists, believed to be from the BBC, who came to them with information about the allegations.
The move, and the fact that some journalists were present during the search, have been criticised as evidence of the close ties between police and media in the UK, even when someone has not been charged with a crime.
“When a media outlet contacted SYP [South Yorkshire Police] with information about an investigation, we took the decision to work with them in order to protect the integrity of that investigation,” the statement from South Yorkshire police says.
“Since the search took place a number of people have contacted the police to provide information and we must acknowledge that the media played a part in that, for which we are grateful”.
Thames Valley Police, who assisted in the search of the home, said they “did not speak to any media outlets prior to the warrant being executed”.
In an editorial, The Guardian notes that the there were some ‘troubling’ issues with the story.
This is an evolving and sensitive story. It may lead somewhere or nowhere. But the relationship between the police and the press in this case raises, yet again, wider and troubling issues about the way that due process, and the presumption of anonymity for suspects, including celebrities, lacks the robustness which was called for by [the] Leveson [report] and to which the police – and the press – are supposed to be committed.
Police had carried out the search of the home in Berkshire after they received an allegation dating back to the 1980s involving an alleged sexual offence against a boy who was under 16 at the time. Cliff Richard has said the claim is “completely false”.
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I don’t know whether mine are near or far away.
I love father Ted but the repeated jokes, memes , “gas” hairy baby T shirts, never ending repeats on RTE (of a channel 4 sitcom remember) and now this really show how poor current tv comedy is.
@John Quill: Ah you can’t be saying that now.
@John Quill: Ah come on now, it sounds like you don’t love father Ted at all. Next you’ll be telling us you don’t love the lovely girls.
@D’oh: now you!
@John Quill: down with that sort of thing!
Got mine nice and quick,
The quotes are good but there’s better ones. Hope they will do another batch and not say down with this sort of thing.
@Matt Humphries: my all time favorite quote is this. *Trying to come up with lyrics to my lovely horse*
Ted: come on Dougal, think.
Dougal: How about, Take this sugar baby, you know you want it.
Ted: eh, no Dougal.
Cracks me up.
Scrap the idea, replace it with young offenders stamp, more representative of modern and enlightened Ireland
@Jimmy Carroll: is that why people are buying them? Hahahahaha …More repre…what? g’wan outa dat!
Is traditional mail making a come back?
I got mine but they are a bit boring. I was hoping for a holy stone of clonrichart or bishop Brennan getting kicked up the a***
@Edmund Murphy: Father Jack had better quotes, what about “DRINK!!!, ETC”
Got mine, but I’d like to be able to buy sheets of individual ones so I can use them and still keep my little booklet.
@Tricia G: you always want more Tricia
I’m eagerly awaiting mine!
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