By REBECCA CAMBER FOR THE DAILY MAIL and SAM MARSDEN FOR THE DAILY MAIL and WILLS ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
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Sir Cliff Richard is set to miss his annual trip to New York for the US Open while he faces underage sex abuse allegations.
The tennis fan, 73, could be prevented from entering the United States while he is questioned by British detectives over accusations he sexually assaulted a boy in the 1980s.
The singer visits Flushing Meadows for the tournament every year, but border officials could block him when he lands on US soil - even though he owns a flat in the city.
He can make a personal visit to the US Embassy to argue his case for a visa.
However, a source told The Sun: 'You would be mad to try to get on a plane if you had a child abuse inquiry hanging over you.'
A spokesman for the US Embassy in London told the newspaper: 'We do not comment on individuals.'
Earlier this year Nigella Lawson was prevented from travelling to Los Angeles after a court was told she had taken to cocaine.
Sir Cliff has been assured he will not be arrested when he returns from his vineyard in Portugal, but he will be interviewed under caution.
Police were yesterday forced to defend their decision to allow the BBC access to their raid on Sir Cliff’s Sunningdale, Berkshire, home on Thursday.
The singer said he was angry that the first he knew of the operation was when he saw it on television.
He accused officers of leaking information to ‘the Press’, mistakenly suggesting newspapers had also been tipped off.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police, who are leading the investigation, said: ‘When a media outlet contacted South Yorkshire Police with information about an investigation, we took the decision to work with them in order to protect the integrity of that investigation.
'Since the search took place, a number of people have contacted the police to provide information and we must acknowledge that the media played a part in that, for which we are grateful.’
Police refused to comment on the nature of the information they had received. Their investigation centres on claims that Sir Cliff sexually assaulted a boy at an event in Sheffield held by the American preacher Billy Graham in 1985.
Sir Cliff, who has dismissed the accusations as ‘completely false’, is expected to cut short his holiday in Portugal to meet detectives within days. Officers said they were keen to speak to him ‘as soon as possible’.
The singer’s lawyers are in talks with the police about a single allegation of serious sexual assault reported by a man in his 40s.
Stung by criticism from Sir Cliff and his fans, Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s head of news-gathering, took the unusual step of going on Twitter to confirm that the source of its original story was not South Yorkshire Police, but refused to say who it was.
Thames Valley Police, which provided five of the eight officers who searched Sir Cliff’s home over five hours, were also quick to deny any leak to media outlets.
The Mail understands that a BBC producer acting on a tip-off phoned South Yorkshire Police, who confirmed the timing of the raid so that police could carry out their inquiries before the story broke.
Detectives were concerned that any advance publicity would have given Sir Cliff prior warning, risking ‘the integrity of the investigation’.
The force also provided the BBC with an exclusive interview with Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, which was broadcast within moments of the raid starting. Tory MP Nigel Evans said ‘questions have got to be answered’ about the BBC’s presence at Sir Cliff’s home.
He told Good Morning Britain: ‘It appears the Press knew what was happening before he did and the world’s media were camped outside his doorstep.
'A Press helicopter was up before the police even arrived – he is quite right to be angry about that.’
The allegation against Sir Cliff first emerged in October 2012 when the alleged victim contacted Mark Williams-Thomas, an investigative journalist and former detective who worked on an ITV documentary exposing Jimmy Savile.
Yesterday, Mr Williams-Thomas confirmed that he had also passed new information to the police about Sir Cliff in addition to the allegations he heard from the alleged victim.
The singer has strenuously denied the claims but stressed that he would ‘co-operate fully should the police wish to speak to me’.
He said: ‘For many months I have been aware of allegations against me of historic impropriety which have been circulating online.
'The allegations are completely false.’ Yesterday, the singer arrived at his £3million Algarve home with friends without stopping to make any comment to journalists.
Portuguese police confirmed they have not been asked to search his holiday home.
Alleged abuse is claimed to have taken place at a 1985 Sheffield stadium rally by US evangelist preacher Billy Graham
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