'I'm scared to touch children now': Sir Cliff Richard says he struggles to cope around fans after being falsely accused of abusing young boys 

  • Sir Cliff Richard, 76, has spoken of the 'trauma' caused by false accusations
  • He admits he is now scared to touch children for fear of someone complaining
  • Singer reveals he's become 'wary' when fans ask him to pose for photographs 
  • Raid of his home in 2014 found nothing and police apologised to innocent star

By Laura Lambert For The Daily Mail and Mark Duell for MailOnline

Published: 10:18 EST, 29 December 2016 | Updated: 09:37 EST, 31 December 2016

His name was finally cleared after two years of being caught up in a sex abuse smear.

But Sir Cliff Richard has revealed the 'trauma' caused by the false accusations means he is now scared to touch children, for fear of someone complaining.

The 76-year-old singer added that he has become 'wary' when fans ask him to pose for photographs – particularly with their children and grandchildren - and he shies away from hugging them.

Sir Cliff Richard has spoken about his 'trauma' caused by false accusations of sex abuse

He told Lorraine Kelly on ITV that he was now scared to touch children, for fear of a complaint

He told ITV's Lorraine: 'I'm a little bit wary, it's happened two or three times to me, when people bring their children, their daughters and sons, this person (my accuser), I might have met him, I don't know this person.

'My lawyers said don't ever say you've never met people because you have thousands of photographs taken with them.

'And of course people have brought their grandchildren and their children and I've (posed) like this, and I don't know what they turn out to be 25, 30 years later. So I've found now that I'm a little bit wary.

'I try not to touch people too much – that'll all change, it's something at the moment I'm thinking "I don't know how to deal with this photograph situation", whereas before you just hug them and go "hey" – and that'll all come back.'

The 76-year-old singer has now become 'wary' when fans ask him to pose for photographs

Sir Cliff told ITV's Lorraine today that he hopes he will be able to hug fans again in the future

In 2014, Sir Cliff's £3million home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, was raided by detectives investigating historic sex abuse claims.

However, during the five-hour raid – which was televised by the BBC – eight officers from South Yorkshire Police found nothing and the force had to apologise to the innocent star.

Following a 22-month investigation, prosecutors announced in June that Sir Cliff would not face any charges.

Discussing the impact of the accusations and ensuing investigation, Sir Cliff said that he might 'never get over it' and said that he was used as 'collateral damage' despite his innocence.

Sir Cliff sings on the opening night of his 75th birthday concert tour in Birmingham last year

Sir Cliff performs in Hamburg, Germany, in 2014 during his 'Still Reelin' And A-Rockin' tour

The veteran singer said: 'It's really difficult to explain to people what it's like, you have to go through it yourself to know what it's like.

'It's a horrifying, traumatically emotional situation that you find yourself in, and you somehow feel that you don't know how to get yourself out of it.

'I may never get over it, but I can get past it and move on. I think it's a matter now of saying 'how can we stop this happening to other people?' 

'You can't have this amount of collateral damage, I did not like being collateral damage. That's basically what I was. No one cared that I was innocent, they just had to believe the accuser.' 

In 2014, Sir Cliff's £3million apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, was raided by detectives

The five-hour raid by eight officers from South Yorkshire Police was televised by the BBC

Sir Cliff - speaking in an interview filmed last month which was broadcast again on Lorraine Kelly's show today - added: 'I forgave my first accuser on the second night because I woke up feeling like, "how do I survive this if I have hate and vengeance in my heart?"

'I just said to God "please help me forgive him" so I uttered the words "I forgive you" and do you know what, it was a lot easier the next day because I didn't burn with hate and vengeance, so for me God became a reality much more so than he has done before.'

Sir Cliff, who has just released a new album featuring a virtual duet with Elvis Presley, is suing the BBC and South Yorkshire Police over the live footage of the 2014 raid.

He added: 'I'm doing the things that I've missed for a couple of years, you know. It just feels nice to be back in the business that I've been in and loved for so long.'

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