UK prosecutors consider charges against singer Cliff Richard

LONDON — British prosecutors are considering whether to pursue criminal charges against singer Cliff Richard over alleged sex abuse several decades ago.

The Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement Tuesday it will “carefully consider” evidence handed over by South Yorkshire Police.

The 75-year-old entertainer, who was a pop idol in the early 1960s, has denied any wrongdoing. His country home has been raided twice in recent years.

Prosecutors say they will determine if there is “sufficient evidence” to provide reasonable chances of conviction and whether a prosecution is in the public interest.

Richard was questioned by detectives in 2014 but wasn’t arrested or charged.

He has remained a popular act in Britain following his heyday in the late 1950s and early 1960s just before the Beatles burst onto the music scene.

Associated Press