Fishing

The protection of sources is important, but the BBC will, I think, have to come clean about the negotiations that led to its cameras, reporters, umbrellas and helicopter being in Sunningdale on Thursday morning.

They were ready to roll as a rather sinister convoy of five cars deposited eight police staff at the gated development where Sir Cliff Richard owns a penthouse flat. They'd recce'd enough to get usable shots from the sky as the police searched inside.

Jonathan Munro, ex ITN man now running BBC Newsgathering, tweeted yesterday that South Yorkshire police was not the "original source"; that's not entirely incompatible with a later statement from the cops in Sheffield:

"When a media outlet contacted SYP with information about an investigation, we took the decision to work with them in order to protect the integrity of that investigation."

It reads as if the BBC was ready to go with a story that Sir Cliff was the subject of an active inquiry, and checking.  Is it possible the police said, hold off a while and we'll let you know when we're going in ? Did they really think if the BBC ran with it, Sir Cliff would clean out ?  Is it possible that the BBC was pleased with the deal?  There's no doubt the police in South Yorkshire seem as pleased as Punch with the outcome.

“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.”

For alternative views on the propriety of this police/media deal, read Geoffrey Robertson in The Independent, or sceptical blogger Anna Raccoon.  Or most newspaper leaders this morning...