Cilla backs pal Cliff over sex claims

Cilla Black has rallied to the defence of fellow showbiz veteran Cliff Richard and said she thinks allegations that he sexually assaulted a boy in the 1980s are "without foundation".

Richards’s apartment was searched by officers from South Yorkshire and Thames Valley police last week as part of an investigation into the alleged sexual assault on a boy at a religious event in 1985.

In a statement, Cilla said: “Cliff is a very close friend of mine and has been for a million years.