LANCASHIRE MAN CALLS FOR VENABLES' NEW ID TO BE REVEALED

10th March 2010

A man who was forced to move out of Fleetwood after being wrongly accused of being James Bulger's killer Jon Venables says he's facing the same problem again.

David Calvert moved away from Lancashire five years ago after rumours that he was Venables living under a new identity.

He is now asking Justice Secretary Jack Straw to reveal the new identities of both Jon Venables and Robert Thompson.

Speaking about the Government's refusal to reveal who the toddler's killers are he said: "They say it's for their human rights and it shouldn't be. They've got to think of other people's human rights.

Mr Calvert said the Justice Secretary must publically state he is not Jon Venables, adding "because until something like that happens I'm going to keep getting this.

"Until their names are mentioned and its proven who they are ... I'm going to get shunted and shouted at and everything for the rest of my life until this is sorted.

The father of four said the false accusations are affecting his children, with one of his sons asking "why are all these bad people saying bad things Dad?"

The Facebook page was set up shortly after it was revealed Venables has been recalled to prison. By the time it was taken down it had attracted thousands of users.

Mr Calvert had to cope with similar allegations in 2005 when he lived in Fleetwood, Lancashire.

After telling a neighbour that he had served a sentence in a Liverpool prison, rumours began to circulate about his identity.

Speaking at the time, Mr Calvert said: "People have been turning up at my neighbours' houses with pictures of the killers printed off the internet and saying one of them is me.

"Now I hear that threats are being made and I'm worried that someone will come for me or my girlfriend or hurt my kids.

"I'm too scared to go out of the house now. I have these people saying they will get me out 'no matter what' and I'm terrified at what they might do."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said that Justice Secretary Jack Straw would not be responding specifically to Mr Calvert's request, but said: "We can confirm that Jon Venables has been recalled to custody."