The BBC director general says it was right to live broadcast a police raid on Cliff Richard's house

The BBC has refused to apologise directly to Sir Cliff Richard after the British pop singer launched legal action against the UK broadcaster over its coverage of a police raid on his house.

BBC director general Tony Hall confirmed on Tuesday in a press conference at New Broadcasting House in London that the corporation had received a letter from Richard's lawyers, but that it would be standing by its story.

Richard is suing the BBC for £1 million ($1.3 million) after it live broadcasted images taken from its cameras on a helicopter as a police raid was taking place in his home in August 2014 as part of a now-dropped South Yorkshire Police investigation into historic sex abuse allegations.

Hall reiterated much of a statement the BBC released on the matter when the investigation was dropped in June.

The director general said he was "sorry for the distress" Richard has been caused, but pointed to a Home Affairs Committee inquiry, which concluded that the BBC was within its rights to run the story.

"We see nothing wrong in their decision to run the story," the cross-party group of MPs concluded in a report on the matter in October 2014.

Hall explained: "I think that's [the Home Affairs Committee's conclusion] right. When the police are investigating a matter that is of public concern, then we should report that. And by the way, it wasn't just us. It was all our colleagues in broadcast media and newspapers as well."

Asked by The Daily Telegraph media journalist Patrick Foster if he would apologise directly for the story, he said: "I've said what I've said."

Hall added that the BBC would respond to Richard's letter in "due course."