BBC reporter admits he had 'understanding' with detective over Sir Cliff Richard raid

Reporter had approached South Yorkshire Police after getting tip-off that Sir Cliff was being investigated

Sir Cliff Richard arrives at the Rolls Building in London to hear more evidence from BBC reporter Dan Johnson (PA Wire)

A BBC reporter has admitted he had an “understanding” with a senior detective over the raid on Sir Cliff Richard’s home.

Dan Johnson told a court he agreed to keep quiet about the sexual assault investigation in return for details of the search.

The BBC broke the story in August 2014 using live helicopter footage of officers at the singer’s apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire.

Lawyers for Sir Cliff claim Mr Johnson “strong-armed” South Yorkshire Police into telling him when the raid would take place.

But Mr Johnson told the High Court: “There was an understanding between us. If I kept quiet ... They would confirm details of the search.”

The reporter had approached South Yorkshire Police after getting a tip-off that Sir Cliff was being investigated.

Mr Johnson admitted he did not correct Detective Superintendent Matthew Fenwick’s “mistaken perception” that he knew details of the allegation against Sir Cliff.

He said he sat in silence and tried not to appear surprised while the detective gave him information about the investigation.

Mr Johnson told the court: “It is a journalistic practice to wait and see what you are told to confirm a story.”

The court heard he explained to BBC editors it was possible the police felt “pressured” to cooperate with him on the story.

Mr Johnson said he did not want his bosses to think that Det Supt Fenwick and press officer Carrie Goodwin had given him information they should not have done.

He told Mr Justice Mann: “I was just trying to calm this row that was blazing around me at this stage.”

Sir Cliff is suing the BBC over coverage of the police search of his home and has told the court he thought he was “going to have a heart attack or a stroke”.

The BBC disputes the singer’s claim that it was a serious invasion of his privacy, insisting it was a “matter of legitimate public interest”.

South Yorkshire Police were investigating an allegation made in 2013 by a man who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Sir Cliff during an event at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane football stadium. The complainant said he was a child when the abuse took place in 1985. Sir Cliff denied the allegation and, in 2016, it was announced that he would not face any charges.