Controversial BBC coverage of Cliff Richard raid shortlisted for Scoop of the Year

The BBC's controversial coverage of the police raid on the home of Sir Cliff Richard has been shortlisted for a prestigious industry award.

The veteran star hit the headlines when officers searched his Berkshire apartment in August while a film crew from the corporation caught the event on camera.

That coverage has been nominated for Scoop of the Year at the Royal Television Society's (RTS) television journalism awards.

Sir Cliff was subsequently interviewed by detectives investigating a claim of a sex crime involving a young boy, but was not arrested or charged.

MPs later branded South Yorkshire Police 'inept' over their handling of the event and said they should have refused to co-operate with the BBC.

The Home Affairs Select Committee also criticised the BBC for its decision not to allow the reporter behind the story, Dan Johnson, to appear before them.

A statement from Sir Cliff's lawyers, released to coincide with the report, said the coverage caused 'immeasurable harm' to their client.

Also nominated alongside BBC News is Panorama's expose on journalist Mazher Mahmood, also known as the fake sheikh, and a BBC Northern Ireland programme about allegations of sex crimes committed by IRA members.

The winners are announced at a ceremony at the London Hilton, Park Lane, on Wednesday February 18.

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.