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| Lord McAlpine says abuse claims false and defamatory | Lord McAlpine says abuse claims false and defamatory |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Conservative peer Lord McAlpine has said allegations linking him to alleged historical child abuse are "wholly false and seriously defamatory". | Conservative peer Lord McAlpine has said allegations linking him to alleged historical child abuse are "wholly false and seriously defamatory". |
| The ex-treasurer released a statement after a man claimed he had been abused at a care home in Wrexham. | |
| Lord McAlpine said he had visited Wrexham "only once" and that he had been in the company of an agent from Conservative Central Office. | Lord McAlpine said he had visited Wrexham "only once" and that he had been in the company of an agent from Conservative Central Office. |
| He said he had never been to the children's home linked to the claims. | |
| Lord McAlpine's denial comes after Steve Messham claimed on the BBC's Newsnight that he had been abused by a senior politician of the Thatcher era, who was not named. | |
| In his statement, Lord McAlpine said: "I have never been to the children's home in Wrexham, nor have I ever visited any children's home, reform school or any other institution of a similar nature. | In his statement, Lord McAlpine said: "I have never been to the children's home in Wrexham, nor have I ever visited any children's home, reform school or any other institution of a similar nature. |
| "I have never stayed in a hotel in or near Wrexham, I did not own a Rolls-Royce, have never had a 'Gold card' or 'Harrods card' and never wear aftershave, all of which have been alleged. | |
| "I did not sexually abuse Mr Messham or any other residents of the children's home in Wrexham." | |
| He said he had decided to "publicly tackle these slurs and set the record straight". | |
| "In doing so, I am by no means giving up my right to sue those who have defamed me in the recent past or who may do so in the future and I expressly reserve my rights to take all such steps as I and my solicitors consider necessary to protect my interests," Lord McAlpine added. | |
| Some newspapers on Friday reported that the peer has been a victim of mistaken identity. | |
| 'Witch-hunt' | |
| On Thursday David Cameron said he feared a "witch-hunt" by those commenting online about child abuse allegations. | |
| The prime minister was commenting on ITV1's This Morning programme after being unexpectedly handed a list of names of people whom the show's presenter said were being mentioned online as paedophiles. | |
| Presenter Phillip Schofield, who said he had based the list on internet speculation, has been criticised for his actions during the live interview which had been addressing historical claims of a paedophile ring linked to No 10. | |
| Mr Cameron, who did not look at the list, said he was "worried" that speculation about unproven allegations could lead to a "witch-hunt particularly against people who are gay" and advised anyone with evidence of abuse to go to the police. | |
| London Mayor Boris Johnson branded it a "rum piece of journalism" and Labour's Chuka Umunna said it had been "foolish and irresponsible". | |
| Meanwhile, TV regulator Ofcom said it had received complaints about the programme. | |
| The north Wales abuse scandal re-emerged last week after Mr Messham called for a new investigation claiming a report by Sir Ronald Waterhouse in 2000 had not uncovered the full scale of the abuse. | |
| On Tuesday, Home Secretary Theresa May announced a new police inquiry is to investigate fresh allegations into the way police handled child abuse accusations in care homes during the 1970s and 80s. | |
| There will also be a judicial inquiry into the failings of previous judicial inquiries. | |
| Meanwhile, Flintshire Council chief executive Colin Everett has said he wants to publish a shelved 1996 report into the abuse claims. | |
| The Jillings report was never made public because of legal concerns. |