Former Tory Denies Child Abuse Rumours

Lord McAlpine has strenuously denied allegations of child abused levelled against him.

The former Tory treasurer of West Green described the allegations as "wholly false and seriously defamatory".

The Conservative peer made the comments in a statement released today, denying that he had abused Steve Messham or any of the residents of the children’s home in Wrexham, north Wales.

Lord McAlpine said he had only ever visited Wrexham once and on that occasion he was with an agent from the Tory central office.

"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," he said.

"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."

The statement came amid rumours circulating about senior political figures from the Thatcher era involved in the abuse of children in a home in Wales.

McAlpine said he was accused of being "the senior Conservative party figure from the days of Margaret Thatcher's leadership who is guilty of sexually abusing young residents of a children's home in Wrexham, north Wales in the 1970s and 1980s."

"Even though these allegations made of me by implication in the broadcast and print media, and made directly about me on the internet, are wholly false and seriously defamatory, I can no longer expect the broadcast and print media to maintain their policy of defaming me only by innuendo," he said.

"There is a media frenzy and I have to expect that an editor will soon come under pressure to risk naming me. My name and the allegations are, for all practical purposes, linked and in the public domain and I cannot rewind the clock."

"I therefore have decided that in order to mitigate, if only to some small extent, the damage to my reputation I must publicly tackle these slurs and set the record straight."

(IT/GK)