The 77-year old British artist was recently awarded £210,000 in damages after a judge ruled in his favour, finding that the BBC coverage of a police raid on his home in 2014, which in turn followed a child sex assault allegation, was a "very serious" invasion of his privacy.

Cliff announced that Rise Up, his first album of new material since 2004, will focus its lyrics on his recent battles in the court and how he overcame this 'bad period'.

Richard made the announcement of a new 16-track album at London's Abbey Road Studios, where he recorded his debut single 'Move It' - released exactly 60 years ago, on August 29, 1958.

According to reports, Richard said: "I chose Rise Up as the title track because after the bad period I went through in my life, I've managed to Rise Up out of what seemed like a quagmire.

"It is always great to sing lyrics you can feel and I really felt those words."

He also quipped that his longevity "should be considered a plus, not a drawback", adding that his new record could be "a revival for me".

Rise Up will be released on November 23.