The 77-year-old singer (pictured arriving at court this morning) is suing the BBC over coverage of a police raid at his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014 following an allegation of sex assault

Sir Cliff Richard's lawyers have told a High Court judge that the singer should get compensation at the 'very top end of the scale' because BBC coverage of a police raid on his home caused him 'great damage'.

Lawyers told a High Court judge that BBC coverage of a raid was a 'very serious invasion' of his privacy as Gloria Hunniford arrived at court to give evidence.

The 77-year-old singer is suing the broadcaster over coverage of officers swooping on his apartment in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014 following an allegation of sexual assault.

Sir Cliff, who denied wrongdoing and was not charged with any offence, said he suffered 'profound and long-lasting damage' as a result of the coverage and wants damages.

The singer claims the BBC's coverage was shocking, humiliating and distressing for him, and that it caused him to put his home up for sale, threw his creative and business plans into disarray, and led to him incurring legal costs of around £1million.

The BBC said its coverage in August 2014 was in the public interest.

Mr Justice Mann is overseeing the trial at the High Court in London, which is due to last 10 days.

South Yorkshire Police agreed to pay Sir Cliff Richard £400,000 after settling a claim he brought against the force, Mr Justice Mann heard.

The singer initially sued the BBC and South Yorkshire Police after complaining about coverage of the raid.

But Mr Justice Mann was told in May 2017 how that dispute had been settled after the force agreed to pay the singer 'substantial' damages.

The judge has now been given the figure by lawyers representing the force at the High Court trial against the BBC.

They explained in a written statement given to the judge how the force had in May 2017 agreed to pay Sir Cliff £400,000 and to pick up some of his lawyers' bills.

Gloria Hunniford has told the judge of the 'effect' BBC coverage had on Sir Cliff Richard.

Lawyers representing Sir Cliff said she was a 'close and long-standing friend' of the singer and had made a witness statement.

The presenter hugged and kissed Sir Cliff after the hearing adjourned for lunch.

The star's barrister, Justin Rushbrooke QC, who is leading Sir Cliff's legal team, told the judge: 'In a nutshell, it is Sir Cliff's case that the BBC's coverage of the search was an invasion - indeed a very serious invasion - of his privacy, for which there was no lawful justification.

'It is hard to encapsulate in words the sense of panic and powerlessness that must have been induced in him on 14 August 2014 when he realised that the BBC were relaying instantaneously and indiscriminately around the world highly sensitive and damaging information concerning himself - all based upon an allegation of serious criminal conduct which he knew to be entirely false.'

The singer is suing the BBC over coverage of a police raid at his Berkshire apartment in 2014 after an allegation of sex assault

Mr Rushbrooke told the court a BBC journalist received a 'tip-off' about the police raid on Sir Cliff's home from a source in Operation Yewtree, the Metropolitan Police investigation into allegations of historic sex offences.

He said: 'This was a case of a journalist making use of information that must have been leaked improperly, indeed unlawfully, by someone within a highly sensitive police investigation.'

The barrister said the journalist had South Yorkshire Police, who conducted the raid, 'over a barrel' and used the information from his source to 'get what he wanted' from the force.

He added that it was the BBC's choice to name Sir Cliff and film the raid on his home, despite it being 'made clear' the police were not going to name him in a public statement.

Gloria Hunniford arrives at court today as Cliff Richard's legal battle against BBC opened

Mr Rushbrooke told the judge the BBC had used TV cameras to 'spy into someone's home'.

He said Sir Cliff had 'no option' but to take legal action because the BBC refused to accept that journalists had acted 'unlawfully'.

Mr Rushbrooke said a BBC newsgathering team had shown an 'obsessive desire' to scoop rivals.

He said they would have known they were taking a 'significant legal risk' by going ahead with the broadcast.

He said they had wanted to 'make the headlines' rather than 'report the news'. He said there had been a 'regrettable failure' to adhere to 'proper standards'.

'They were playing with fire, but Sir Cliff was the one who got burned,' he added.

The BBC has said it is very sorry for the distress caused to Sir Cliff by its coverage of the raid, but is contesting his legal claim

This photo shows the BBC outside Sir Cliff's house in Sunningdale in August 2014 when police searched the property

Lawyers representing BBC bosses told Mr Justice Mann that the raid was a 'matter of legitimate public interest'.

Gavin Millar QC, who is leading the BBC legal team, said journalists had respected Sir Cliff's rights as 'the suspect' and 'in particular the presumption of innocence'.

Mr Millar has outlined the BBC's defence in a written statement.

He said Sir Cliff's claim was the first claim of its kind to feature in a trial in England or Wales.

He said there was a 'general consensus' that reporting on such matters was in the public interest and said by reporting in such a way the press had exercised its common law right to freedom of expression.

Mr Millar added: 'The BBC seeks to defend (Sir Cliff's) claim, in essence, on the basis that its reporting of the search... was accurate and in good faith, was on a matter of legitimate public interest and respected the rights of (Sir Cliff) as a suspect, in particular the presumption of innocence.'

Sir Cliff (arriving at court today) claims the BBC's coverage was shocking, humiliating and distressing for him, and that it caused him to put his home up for sale, threw his creative and business plans into disarray, and led to him incurring legal costs of around £1m

Sir Cliff was being investigated at the time over a claim that he had sexually abused a child at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane stadium in 1985, an allegation that had been passed to South Yorkshire Police by officers at Scotland Yard in July 2014.

Sir Cliff denied the allegation and in June 2016 prosecutors announced that he would face no charges.

The BBC is fighting the claim, and will argue that a ruling in Sir Cliff's favour would damage press freedom to report on police investigations.

Jonathan Munro, Head of Newsgathering at the BBC arrives at the High Court this morning

A BBC spokesman has said the corporation had reported Sir Cliff's 'full denial of the allegations at every stage'.

Sir Cliff had also sued South Yorkshire Police.

But Mr Justice Mann has been told that that dispute was settled after the force agreed to pay the singer 'substantial' damages.

The case is significant in determining whether anyone under investigation by the police can lawfully be identified by the media before they are charged.