Cliff Richard

So pleased for him. We're all going on a summer holiday!

That is good news, but he will never recover from the bad publicity.

Really pleased for him. I hope he recovers from all the publicity. He's had a lot of support and although I preferred his music in the 'Move It' days, he still has many fans.

True shysal, the damaged caused cannot be undone. Pity the police who tipped off the BBC hadn’t been taken to court too.

It was an appalling thing to happen to anyone. Others who are falsely accused are not always able to afford to go to court and get their names cleared. Then there are the 'no smoke without fire brigade' who will always believe there was some truth in the matter.

I think that when the law decided women who make accusations should have anonymity it was the right thing because, at that time, there were some who believed that women brought the trouble on themselves but I think those days are gone. I think that when an accuser is found to have lied they should be named, after all the man they accused has been plastered all over the papers and his life has been permanently damaged. Surely it is time to name and shame them.

I don't even know what 'sexual assault' is these days. It seems to include things like putting a hand on a knee and wolf whistling which, although annoying, are hardly things which damage you for life. When I was young men did much worse than that and I had ways of making it quite clear I didn't want it. I really didn't weep into my pillow about it. These days women have so much power and equality but don't seem to be able to put a man down when he is pushing his luck.

Then of course there is revenge because a woman is dumped and doesn't like it so she makes false allegations.

Now I await the deluge but please, not before you have read what I have said. I think rape and serious sexual abuse should be dealt with strongly, I just think women should be able to stand up for themselves as I and my friends did and not be such wilting lilies.

Fran Unsworth has said that the BBC will consider appealing the decision!

Annie - Cliff sued South Yorkshire police - they took 2 years to investigate, never charged or arrested him - it must have been a living nightmare for him. SY police then apologised profusely and settled out of court and paid "substantial damages" - except of course it's the taxpayers who foot the bill & no one in the police has been sacked (as far as I know) - yet another example of SY police's appalling record - Hillsborough, Rotherham.
People with power - be it police or BBC - should be very careful how they use it - they can and do destroy lives.
Sorry - I'm being a bit too serious on a happy news story ? - so glad he's got some justice.

nonnie But it wasn't a woman who made the allegation was it?

dbD, yes the police settled out of court, I wish they had been taken to court.

Cliff was badly treated and the amount awarded was derisory as far as the BBC goes.
I thought I heard on the news that they would not appeal, they will still carry on wasting tax payers money though.

Ilovecheese I have no idea if it was a woman or not but why is that relevant? Surely a false accuser should not get away with it?

I agree Nonnie, male or female no difference .

It was shocking that the police tipped off the media about their raid on his home when he was abroad. The BBC had a helicopter there to film it all.

I think that heads should roll in the police department.

When an accusation is made the police have to investigate, however, in this case I can't see why it was necessary for the BBC to have a helicopter hovering outside filming the police carrying out the search through the windows.

I heard a BBC spokesperson saying this was a blow to the public right to know but they could have reported there was an investigation without the need to film it.

I am pleased Cliff won the case, except of course the fine will be paid out of the licence fee. Does anyone know what happened to the reporter/producer responsible for the invasion of privacy?

Because nonnie referred to women who make false allegations and women who get dumped.

The police have to investigate but naming the person is wrong, mud sticks .

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

There is an argument that says publicising a case encourages other victims to come forward rather than thinking they were the only one.

This happened with a gp in our area.

I'd be careful what you write about CR, jura. Gossip of that nature can be libellous.

Jura, uncalled for, there has been no arrest, no charge and some love to make out they are in the know, wink wink, nudge nudge.

Homosexuality was legal in the late sixties, are you saying he was still living at home when he was in his late twenties? If as your informants claim he was sexually active with Boys in the late sixties

Not forgetting his career was well established in the late fifties .

merlot, what Jura said cannot be true ,

What Jura said is exactly what I was referring to, mud sticks and it encourages all sorts of people to say they knew in the past. Although I am sure what we have read about Jimmy Saville is true some of the people who have come out and said they knew it was going on are simpley fantasising. I spent a considerable amount of time in Stoke Mandeville Hospital and I can assure you that they talked about JS as if he were a saint.

Why the nit-picking about whether it was a woman or a man? I just don't understand why anyone cares or why anyone feels the need to trip people up on this site. I see many spelling mistakes and typos but would not be so rude as to detract from the thread and say so.

au contraire- I am surprised none of the late 60s 'gossip' has not come up to surface, as we expected it to.
Will say no more, for reasons stated by Merlot.

It makes me wonder whether someone in the police were selling news scoops and they got this one horribly wrong . I wonder how much this was worth?