Readers may’ve heard the national news this afternoon of police confirmation that young boys were abused by the late Sir Cyril Smith.
Way back in 1979, an independent newspaper called the Rochdale Alternative Press carried a child sex abuse exposé, highlighting claims of systematic sexual abuse of young boys. Cyril Smith was heavily implicated in the investigation.
Ventnor’s town clerk is former investigative journalist
What has that got to do with the Isle of Wight you might wonder?
Well it so happens that one of editors of the Rochdale Alternative Press investigating those allegations made about the former MP was none other than town clerk of Ventnor Town Council, David Bartlett.
Last week the Daily Mail spoke to Mr Bartlett about the investigation that was silenced through an injunction by Cyril Smith. It reports,
“It was a gagging action [on Smith’s part] — to prevent anyone else writing about this,” David Bartlett, now 74 and living in retirement on the Isle of Wight, told me this week.
“Smith never did sue. He increased his majority at the next election. The whole thing died down and just faded away.”
Readers of Private Eye may remember the subject arising again recently when they made reference to the former investigation by RAP.
You can read the full article over on the Daily Mail Website.
Image: Rodhullandemu
