Hodge tries to gag BBC

Controversial Children's Minister Margaret Hodge today launched an extraordinary bid to stop the BBC reporting fresh allegations of abuse at an Islington children's home.

She labelled a former abuse victim, Demetrious Panton, an "extremely disturbed person" in an astonishing attack on his testimony. Mrs Hodge sent a letter to BBC chairman Gavyn Davies, copied to director-general Greg Dyke, accusing Radio 4's Today programme of "deplorable sensationalism" and "scant balance". The minister claimed Today reporter Angus Stickler was motivated by trying to connect her to the case in her role as leader of Islington council in the 1980s.

She called on Mr Davies to investigate personally and added: "If the position is that a news item is being developed with the intention of connecting a government minister to the story for the sake of sensationalism then I think it is deplorable."

In a thinly veiled threat of legal action, her letter also referred to High Court proceedings issued in 1996 against Channel 4 News for an item about child abuse in Islington, which ended with the programme apologising.

Mrs Hodge's attack on the BBC opened up the most serious dispute between the Government and the corporation since the David Kelly affair - which also involved the Today programme.

Since her appointment the minister has faced near-continuous controversy over revelations in the Evening Standard from two former council workers that she failed to take effective action to stop the child abuse scandal in Islington.

Sweeping new government measures to tackle abuse nationally had to be postponed for months because of the furore surrounding Mrs Hodge. The latest Today programme investigation placed more pressure on Mrs Hodge and also drew another minister, Stephen Twigg, into the row.

Mr Panton, who was abused in a care home in the 1970s by notorious paedophile Bernie Bain, told how he went to confront Mrs Hodge in her surgery in 1992 - but she was not there. Standing in for her was Mr Twigg, then an Islington councillor, now a minister in the same department as Mrs Hodge. Mr Panton said Mr Twigg was "aware that this matter should be referred to Mrs Hodge".

Mr Twigg said he could not remember any specific undertaking to tell Mrs Hodge about the claims - but regrets that he did not do so. Mrs Hodge maintains she was never told.

Mr Panton wrote to her to complain about his treatment after she had left Islington council and been elected MP for Barking in 1994. She replied with a four-line letter, referring him back to the council, he claims.

Mr Panton was described by Det Insp John Sweeney, the officer who led the investigation into Bain's abuse claims, as "very articulate, and very measured about what could be done and what could not be done."

Challenged over Mrs Hodge's description of him as "extremely disturbed" he replied: "I wouldn't say he was disturbed at all."

The minister wrote to Mr Davies: "Dear Gavyn, I am writing to you about an investigation .... into a matter concerned with Islington.

"I understand from a number of sources that Angus Stickler of Today has been investigating the case of Demetrious Panton.

" Mr Panton is an extremely disturbed person who suffered from child abuse in Islington homes in the 1960s, 20 years before I became leader of the council.

"Mr Stickler's sole interest in the matter appears to be connecting me with the circumstances of Mr Panton's case."

The Islington child abuse scandal was exposed by an award-winning investigation by the Evening Standard.

We unveiled how the large-scale abuse continued for two decades - with children in the council's care being molested, driven into prostitution and even raped.

Mrs Hodge, as leader of the council, denounced our report as "gutter journalism" but its accuracy was fully vindicated by the independent White report - which made a string of recommendat ions for wholesale change.