UNITED KINGDOM
The Guardian (UK)
Martin Williams
The Guardian, Tuesday 19 August 2014
Sir Cliff Richard, facing a historical sexual assault claim, has withdrawn from a charity event because he did not “want the event to be overshadowed by the false allegation”, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
The singer was due to perform at Canterbury cathedral on 26 September in a fundraising concert. The statement added: “He is sorry for any disappointment or inconvenience caused.”
Police searched Richard’s apartment last week as part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on a young boy at a religious event in 1985 in Sheffield. The pop star, who was in Portugal at the time of the search, has denied any wrongdoing.
The decision to pull out of the charity event comes after the pop star, 73, hired the high-profile lawyer, Ian Burton.
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