Sir Cliff Richard faces no further action in sex abuse inquiry due to insufficient evidence

Sir Cliff Richard will face no further action over allegations of historical sexual abuse, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said today (16 June). The 75-year-old singer was under investigation for nearly two years and consistently denied all allegations against him.

The South Yorkshire Police was criticised for the way it handled the case since raiding his home in Berkshire in August 2014, broadcast live on BBC television. The singer was never charged or arrested for any of the claims made against him.

Today, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Yorkshire and Humberside Martin Goldman said: "The CPS... have decided that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute. The complainants have been informed and provided with a full explanation in writing."

In the statement, the CPS noted that it had "carefully reviewed evidence" of claims of non-recent sexual offences dating between 1958 and 1983. According to the BBC, Richard has said that he is "obviously thrilled that the vile accusations and the resulting investigation have finally been brought to a close".

In February 2015, the singer said he was confident that the child sex abuse allegations against him would be dropped. He issued a number of statements denying the claims and thanking his fans for their support.

A number of MPs described South Yorkshire Police as being "utterly inept" for telling reporters when the raid on Richard's home was going to take place.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said that "no British citizen should have to watch their home being raided by the police live on television". According to Vaz, the incident had led to "enormous and irreparable damage to [Richard's] reputation".