Cliff Richard thought he was 'going to die' from stress linked to historic sexual abuse allegations

The singer was recently cleared of historic sexual abuse after a two year ordeal

Cliff Richard attends Cilla Black's funeral in August, 2015 (Getty)

Sir Cliff Richard has said he thought he was going to die during his two-year-long battle to clear his name over historical sexual abuse allegations.

Sir Cliff’s home was visited by police in a highly publicised raid in 2014 after he was was accused of historical sexual abuse. Last week, the Crown Prosecution Service announced they would take no further action over the four allegations against the singer saying there was “insufficient evidence to prosecute”.

The 75-year-old has now spoken about the effect of the allegations on his health, saying at times he believed he was going to die.

Sir Cliff said he had a health scare the day after police searched his property when he was unable to lift his arms to play tennis.

“I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. I thought I was going to die,” he told the Daily Mail. “I told my coach what had been happening and he said: ‘You’re brain is just not working right and it’s affecting your body.’ The stress is physical, not just mental.

He also said he injured his face a day after being questioned by South Yorkshire police after not putting his arms out when he tripped and fell, which he said was a result of stress.

Sir Cliff said he had lost a lot of weight during the past two years and has not slept properly since the investigation began. He also developed shingles, which his doctor apparently said could be caused by stress.

Sir Cliff also reportedly told the paper he is considering legal action against the BBC and South Yorkshire police, saying: "Somebody has to teach them a lesson and if it's done by suing, let's do it. And the same with South Yorkshire Police. They have damaged me in a great way."

The BBC reported on the raid at Sir Cliff’s Berkshire home live after receiving a tip-off from South Yorkshire police. Sir Cliff, who said the corporation “has a lot to answer for,” was at his vineyard in Portugal at the time and says he did not know what he had been accused of until he saw news coverage on the BBC.

Last week, South Yorkshire police apologised "wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused by our initial handling of the media interest in this case".

Sir Cliff said the apology is “not enough” but was glad they apologised. He called on the BBC to also apologise and called their actions “shameful”.

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC is very sorry that Sir Cliff Richard, who has worked as a musician and performer for so many years with the organisation, has suffered distress.

“The BBC’s responsibility is to report fully stories that are in the public interest. Police investigations into prominent figures in public life are, of course, squarely in the public interest, which is why they have been reported by all news organisations in this country.

“Once the South Yorkshire Police had confirmed the investigation and Sir Cliff Richard's identity and informed the BBC of the timing and details of the search of his property, it would neither have been editorially responsible nor in the public interest to choose not to report fully the investigation into Sir Cliff Richard because of his public profile.

“The BBC, at every stage, reported Sir Cliff’s full denial of the allegations.

“The BBC, therefore, stands by the decision to report the investigation undertaken by the South Yorkshire Police and the search of his property.

“Sir Cliff has made the argument that the identity of people under investigation into historic allegations should not be made public until they are charged. This view raises significant questions about the scrutiny of the Police and public confidence that allegations are investigated. That said, we respect the fact that he is making an important statement in the debate over balancing privacy rights with the public interest. Ultimately, though, deciding whether people should remain anonymous while the subject of a Police investigation is a matter for Parliament.

“The Home Affairs Select Committee reviewed the editorial decisions made by the BBC and concluded ‘we see nothing wrong in their decision to run the story’.”

South Yorkshire police declined to comment further.