THE son of an MP has been slammed over a sick gag involving Katie Price’s disabled son Harvey.
Ian Lavery Jnr, 24, sent a tweet describing Harvey as a “vegetable” while making a crude reference to his mother.
Last night Sun columnist Katie, 34, blasted Lavery Jnr and his MP dad Ian Lavery, who is patron of brain injury charity Headway.
She said: “This makes me sick to my stomach. Not just that someone could be so vile as to think such a thing, but also could think it clever to repeat to the world on Twitter?
'Stupid' ... Ian Lavery Jnr posted sick 'joke' on Twitter
“What kind of father, what kind of MP, is Ian Lavery? He’s the patron of Headway — yet he brings his son up to think and act like this?
“These disgusting comments aimed at Harvey all too often get aimed at other disabled children and the poor souls his father’s charity rightly campaigns for. This is just as much a hate crime as racism and should be treated as such.”
Mr Lavery, 50, Labour MP for Wansbeck, said: “I’m absolutely appalled by it but I cannot police my kids and I have no intention to. They have to learn how to behave in the big wide world like I did.”
'Appalled' ... but MP Ian Lavery says he cannot police his children
Lavery Jnr, from Newcastle, reacted angrily when initially confronted on Twitter. He said: “Does no f***** listen? Yes it was a sick joke that’s why it got deleted! Obviously some t*** managed to take a pic before it was deleted. Stop going on about it for f*** sake!”
But last night he said he was “ashamed” and apologised “unreservedly” to Katie, adding: “I feel so stupid. I didn’t actually find it funny.”
Harvey, ten, was born with septo-optic dysplasia, causing blindness and growth hormone deficiency.
He also suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder which can lead to obesity and diabetes.
Sun columnist Frankie Boyle was cautioned by Ofcom in 2010 over a joke about Harvey on C4’s Tramadol Nights.
The 'sandwich-making' duo had even met with the bosses of Sony, which owns 50% of BGT chief Simon Cowell’s label SyCo
Richard and Adam Johnson belted out a sensational rendition of a classic hit to unsuspecting viewers who believed the pair were gifted young hopefuls whose only line of work was serving sandwiches in their parents’ cafe.
But the brothers have previously performed to thousands of tourists on cruise ships and in theatres across the UK.
BGT bosses failed to mention the pair’s credentials, leaving fans with the impression they had no connection to the music industry and were looking for that vital break into the big time.
Richard, 21, and 19-year-old Adam had even met with bosses of Sony, which owns 50% of BGT chief Simon Cowell’s label SyCo and recorded a demo after being spotted by renowned producer Gordon Lorenz.
And in an local paper interview this week, Richard revealed: “Sony said we were good but we would have to get ourselves out there more by going on something like Britain’s Got Talent.”
But the brothers, who starred on the ITV show last Saturday night, told BGT fans their singing experience was limited to crooning from behind the counter of their parents’ cafe in Holywell, North Wales.
The classical duo have been gagged from speaking directly to the Mirror because of BGT’s strict confidentiality rules.
But their mum Julie confirmed producers were aware of their background.
The 49-year-old said: “Two years ago, Richard and Adam sang at a pub in Holywell and Gordon rang up and said they had something.
"He took them to Sony for a supposed record deal and Sony said they were interested.
"But it turned out to be a con and Gordon was trying to sign them up himself and sell them on to Sony.
"Then Gordon dropped dead, and any chance of a record deal fizzled out.”
Lorenz produced Shirley Bassey and Cliff Richard records.
Julie told how her sons had been paid for gigs with Ken Dodd at the 2,300-seater Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
Johnson Brothers and their Nan
Twitter
The pair have appeared on 10 cruise ships since August and videos online also show them performing at the Spa Theatre in Bridlington. East Yorkshire.
They describe themselves as vocalists in documents at Companies House, where their singing business Adam and Richard Johnson Ltd was registered 12 months ago.
On BGT they appeared wearing knitted jumpers and spoke nervously, in contrast to sleek promo videos showing them in shiny suits.
During Saturday’s show, the pair told hosts Ant and Dec: “We’ve been singing for three years around the house. We always sing for nan.”
Their immaculate performance of The Impossible Dream brought the audience and judge Amanda to their feet.
A BGT spokesman said: “We refute any suggestion we misled viewers.
"The focus of their VT was on their relationship with their gran as she came to the audition as one of their biggest supporters.
"At the beginning of their appearance the boys say they are singers and when asked about their day jobs they say they work in a sandwich shop, which they do.”
BGT is the most-watched show of 2013, with more than 13 million viewers.
But there was also controversy last week when contestant Alice Fredenham allegedly faked tears and nerves during her song.
The brothers detonated the bombs near the marathon’s finishing line 9 days ago killing three people and injuring more than 280
Stocking up: Dzhokhar buying food hours before being named as suspect
The Boston bombers were branded “shoestring terrorists” today as it emerged each pressure cooker device cost less than £120 to make.
Brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev used 3lbs of explosive powder from the same fireworks company that sold firecrackers to the Times square bomber.
Older brother Tamerlan, 26, visited Phantom Fireworks in New Hampshire two months before the attack asking which pyrotechnic made the ‘biggest and loudest” noise.
He travelled north out of Massachusetts as the fireworks are illegal in his home state.
He packed the powder in one of two pressure cookers he had bought from department store Macy’s filling it with nails and ball bearings to cause maximum injuries.
The brothers detonated the bombs near the marathon’s finishing line 9 days ago killing three people and injuring more than 280.
Former Olympic boxing hopeful Tamerlan visited Phantom Fireworks on February 6 buying a £130 ‘Lock and Load’ mortar kit.
The pack, described as ‘barely legal’, contained four rocket launchers and 24 “30 gramme power packed” shells.
The Muslim extremist used a buy one get one free voucher to get a second kit.
Explosive experts said the two packs would provide enough fire power for one of the pressure-cooker bombs.
Disturbingly, Phantom Fireworks sold the firecrackers to Faisal Shahzad three years ago in his failed attempt to blow up Times Square in New York.
Atrocities: The Tsarnaev brothers
He purchased 288 firecrackers from the firm’s store in Matamoras, Pennsylvania, for the pressure-cooker bomb he planted in a Nissan Pathfinder.
Bill Weimer, vice-president of Phantom Fireworks in Seabrook, New Hampshire, said: “We were just shocked.
“After our Times Square experience, we said ‘It can’t happen twice’.
“Like 99% of the men who come in, he asked ‘What’s the biggest and loudest thing you have?’
“It was a totally unremarkable sale.”
It was only when they looked at the sales record they found Tamerlan had been in their store. He said he contacted the FBI immediately.
Tonight it was unclear where the bombers had bought their other explosives from but it is believed they had tested out their bombs before carrying out the attack.
The Tsarnaevs’ plot has little resemblance to the 9/11 attacks where the hijackers spent an estimated £325,000 for flight training, living expenses, travel, and tickets for the planes they hijacked.
A source close to the investigation said authorities estimate the brothers spent around £220 on their deadly attacks.
He said: “Each bomb could have been made for around a $180 (£120).
“The fireworks were 200 bucks (£130), two cookers are $120 (£80) and batteries would of been just a few dollars more.
“The whole plot was terrorism on a shoestring. They were clearly on a budget.
“It wouldn’t take much to fund it but its just shows how a little money can cause a lot of devastation.”
The details came as it emerged the brothers killed rookie cop Sean Collier, 26, for his gun.
The MIT police officer was executed in his patrol car as the brothers tried to escape but their attempts failed as had a locking system on his holster.
As yet no one has come forward to claim the body of Tamerlan, who died during a police shoot out just hours after they killed Collier.
His wife, Muslim convert Katherine Russell, 24, was today being interviewed by FBI interrogators.
Meanwhile today the mother of the bombers launched into a bizarre rant.
She said she does not care if she or her youngest son Dzhokhar, who was captured hiding in a boat parked in a back yard on Friday night, is killed by U.S. authorities.
Zubeidat Tsarnaev, who now lives in Dagestan, Russia, said: “If they are going to kill him, I don’t care.
“My oldest one is killed, so I don’t care. I don’t care if my youngest one is going to be killed today. I want the world to hear this.
“And I don’t care if I am going to get killed too. And I will say Allahu akbar!”
Radical Muslim Zubeidat, who could be arrested on a shoplifting charge stemming from July 2012 if she returns to the US, also repeated her claims she believes her sons have been framed.
Dzhokhar, who is reported to have tried to take his own life by shooting himself in the mouth, remains in hospital and is being questioned by the High Value Interrogation Group.
Barely able to talk he has answering their questions by writing down his answers.
The university student has been charged with one count of using a weapon of mass destruction and two counts of malicious destruction of property resulting in death.
If found guilty he could face the death penalty after being prosecuted under federal law.
Tonight it was revealed FBI agents could travel to Russia in an attempt to trace Tamerlan’s movements when he visited the country last year.
US Senators continue to put pressure on the FBI and Homeland security demanding to know why he was not picked after repeated warnings from Russia.
Several politicians believe the bombers did not act alone and a terror cell provided the skills for the bombers to carry out the attack.
New CCTV images show Dzhokhar buying food at a garage in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hours after they were revealed as suspects.
He clutches an arm full of Red Bull drinks and large bags of crisps.
He was pictured being followed into the station by his older brother Tamerlan, 26.
The Sale Sharks fly-half was knocked down during a night out with team-mates - and lucky not to be more seriously hurt
On the mend: Danny Cipriani leaving Leeds General Infirmary
Battered and bruised, rugby star Danny Cipriani leaves hospital on a crutch after being hit by a bus.
The Sale Sharks fly-half was knocked down during a night out with team-mates - and lucky not to be more seriously hurt.
He was treated overnight for concussion and underwent X-rays after the incident in Leeds.
He left Leeds General Infirmary today with a black eye and nasty looking cuts and bruises to the left side of his face.
He said on Twitter: "Out of hospital now. Once again, thank you for the messages.
"Thank you for all the well wishes, means a lot. My ribs are a bit sore. Feel like I've been hit by a bus ..."
Cipriani was knocked down as he took part in the 'Otley Run' pub crawl.
One shocked witness to the crash tweeted: "Some guy's been hit by a bus outside Leeds uni and every bit of the bus front window is smashed to pieces, imagine what the guy looks like."
Paramedics and police rush to the scene to help Danny Cipriani
retr8bit / Demotix
Pictures taken at the scene showed the bus had a shattered windscreen and Cipriani being tended to by paramedics on a stretcher.
Danny's manager James Williamson said: "He's a very lucky boy."
A spokesman for First Bus said: "A pedestrian suddenly ran into the road and collided with a First Bus travelling at a safe speed.
"The police have investigated this incident and have reported that First and its driver are not at fault.
"We understand the pedestrian is an England rugby international, and we wish him a speedy recovery."
Cipriani, who has previously played for Wasps and the Melbourne Rebels, is nearing the end of his first season with Aviva Premiership club Sale.
Danny Cipriani in Leeds with face paint
Twitter
Among well-wishers who tweeted him today were footballer Michael Essien and Australian rugby union international James O'Connor, his former Rebels team-mate.
The Sharks, who were involved in a fight against relegation for much of this season, are now safe in English rugby's top flight.
They have one league game left this term, at home to Wasps on May 4. It is not known at this stage how long Cipriani will be sidelined for.
Cipriani made his England debut against Wales in 2008, but after being selected for a first Test start against Scotland during that season's Six Nations he was dropped by then head coach Brian Ashton when pictures emerged of him leaving a nightclub after midnight two days before the game.
Ceri Fuller killed Samuel, 12, Rebecca, eight, and Charlotte, seven, with a hunting knife days after wife Ruth sent flirty texts to her open university lecturer
Wiped out: Ceri Fuller with wife Ruth, daughters Rebecca and Cha
Ceri Fuller killed Samuel, 12, Rebecca, eight, and Charlotte, seven, with a hunting knife days after wife Ruth sent flirty texts to her open university lecturer.
After confessing she had developed a “schoolgirl crush” on Mark Lindley-Highfield, Ruth told Fuller she needed time away from him.
In a written statement, she described their relationship as “violent” and said her husband became jealous if she looked at other men.
Ruth, 34, said he threatened to kill her with the phone cord during a boozy row shortly after she gave birth to Samuel.
“We were both drinking heavily and there had been violent incidents,” she said.
“I had been violent towards him and he had been violent towards me.
“One time I had slammed down a wine glass and he hit me a few times.
“I tried to call the police and he took the phone off the hook and the cord and said he was going to kill me with it.”
Threat: Ceri Fuller said he would kill his wife with a phone cord
Internet
Ruth described how Fuller, 35, walked out of the family home with their children on July 12 last year after she told him to “take the kids for a drive” after a row.
She had told him the day before that she wanted to end their relationship and move out of their home in Milkwall, Gloucs, after falling for her lecturer.
Four days later on July 16, the children’s bodies were found 75 miles away near a disused quarry in Poles Coppice in Shrops.
After slaughtering them Fuller dumped their bodies in woodland before jumping to his death off a 60ft cliff.
Describing their final days, Ruth said in her statement: “I took the university course because I wanted to come out of my shell.
“It was difficult for Ceri to see me becoming more intelligent, happier and interacting with other people because he was so possessive.
“On the Wednesday I was in emotional turmoil, I had sent an email to my tutor with my art portfolio and we exchanged a few texts.
“I told Ceri I had sent the email to my tutor but I didn’t show him it. He said he had seen the texts so he must have looked at my phone at some point.
“We had spoken about Mark previously and I had admitted I thought he was attractive and Ceri didn’t like that at first but he was okay.
“Later he stood in front of me crying holding his wedding ring and asked me if he should take it with him. I can’t remember how he came to be in front of me.
“Ceri made dinner, some kind of spicy pasta, and we had some alcohol.
“We didn’t really drink much anymore as we had problems with it at university. It made him sullen and introverted.
“I remember we talked about the 12/12 scenario and whether the world was going to end or if humans were just going to ascend.
As a report calls for new laws to overhaul the cosmetic surgery industry, Jo is one of the thousands risking their looks and lives using fillers
Looking at pictures of celebrities in magazines, Jo Sandford’s eyes would always linger on actress Martine McCutcheon’s high cheekbones.
The housewife had always felt her cheeks weren’t full enough and as she entered her 30s, and with the odd wrinkle starting to appear, cosmetic surgery seemed to hold the answer.
She decided to have dermafiller injections to look like the former EastEnders actress and it was a decision that she would live to regret.
Last year, Jo, 35, from London, developed a life-threatening infection when the filler shattered under the skin, leaving her hospitalised and disfigured.
“I wanted the same heart-shaped face as Martine. I thought it would give me confidence but in the end it nearly destroyed my life.
“Four years ago, I went to a London clinic first asking for permanent filler as I thought it would be cheaper than having regular, expensive top-ups, but they refused, saying they disliked permafillers and advised me against having them
“But stupidly I didn’t listen. I knew that I would find a doctor who would be willing to do them and I did,” she says.
Jo paid £500 to have three phials of a permanent filler she later found out was called Bio–Alcamid, which has since been withdrawn from the market, injected into her cheeks.
It took 30 minutes and was administered by a private surgeon.
Happy: Jo Sandford before the treatment
“I didn’t go to a dodgy clinic and I’d thoroughly researched the subject. And I loved the way I looked with my prominent cheekbones.
"Then, out of the blue last year, I developed a problem with one of my cheeks. It felt painful and was so swollen my eye had practically closed.
“I became hot and sweaty, my face was burning and I was feverish so my husband Malcolm took me to our local A&E.
"They said I had developed an infection in my right cheek and I was admitted into hospital and put on an IV drip.
“After three days I began to feel better and was discharged. But a week later, I started feeling ill again.
"I couldn’t open my eye and my cheek was hot to touch. I could see the look of horror on Malcolm’s face so he rushed me back to the hospital.
“I immediately had a scan, which showed not only had the filler become infected again it had also migrated and shattered in both cheeks.
Jo had emergency surgery and a surgeon removed some but not all of the fragments of filler through aspiration.
“It was terrifying and I thought I was going to die – they said the infection was travelling towards the brain.
"But the hospital would only remove the filler in one cheek as that was life-threatening.
"They referred me back to my original surgeon to correct the other cheek.
“When I was discharged I went back to the private clinic and they removed the rest of it. But it left me with huge dents in my cheeks and sagging skin.
“It also left me with a huge revision bill. So far I’ve spent around £4,000 having fat transferred to fill out the holes.
"It’s a long, slow process. Corrective surgery will take two years.”
She adds: “A filler that took less than 30 minutes to insert nearly cost me my life.”
Swoollen: Jo Sandford after her fillers became infected
Seduced by the prospect of a relatively inexpensive solution to ageing, Jo is just one of 100,000 women a year who undergo injectables like Botox and fillers to plump up sagging faces and bodies, which up to now has been largely unregulated.
Many like Jo are influenced by celebs and TV shows like TOWIE.
But a major crackdown on the cosmetic surgery industry, worth £2.3bn, has been called for and according to a review by Britain’s most senior doctor Sir Bruce Keogh, the health services medical director, the industry is one that’s been trivialised and needs tighter control.
Commissioned in the wake of the PIP breast implant scandal, the report recommends tighter control on those who can carry out procedures like Botox and other fillers and warns that having a filler gives no more protection than buying a pen or a toothbrush.
Currently, almost anyone can carry out this procedure from beauty therapists, hairdressers to non-medical staff and it is the lack of regulation in this area that Sir Bruce wants to clamp down on.
He says: “Patients are being exposed to unreasonable risks and damage due to a lack of training.”
The new law, which could be introduced by next year, proposes that anyone carrying out injectables would either need a qualification and registration to perform the procedures and dermal fillers should only be available by prescription only.
Firms would be supervised by an ombudsman and covered by insurance in order to minimise the dangers.
There’s no doubt that dermal fillers can have clear benefits and are popular.
Cheekbones: Martine McCutcheon
Twitter
Along with Botox they command a market in non-surgical cosmetic procedures worth £775million, which is expected to grow by 8.4% in the next year.
Dr Aamer Khan runs the reputable Harley Street Skin Clinic in London but admits not every clinic has high standards.
“Currently, in the UK you can call yourself an aesthetic practitioner and start injecting faces without any medical knowledge,” he says.
“You can even buy fillers and syringes online and don’t even have to use approved products.
"The anatomy of the human face is unique for each person, and it takes a good doctor or surgeon to administer the injectable into the right locations.
"The wrong place or the wrong filler could lead to a lifetime of disfigurement or even fatal results.
“When patients come to me I always tell them what can go wrong. I’ve lost count of the number of new patients who have come to our clinic and not known what product has been injected into their faces.
“Others have opted for permanent fillers, like Jo, thinking it will save money but it has cost them dearly. But as the name suggests, once injected, they remain in the body and can be difficult to remove.
“They can be a ticking timebomb in the body and react years after you’ve had them.
"In the wrong hands, patients can be left with unsightly lumps and if a patient has a bad reaction the problems can include facial necrosis, disfigurement, nerve damage and anaphylactic shock.
"The problem with permanent filler is you are introducing an alien substance into the body, which is why I would never use it.”
Currently, the UK treats fillers as harmless, and as a medical ‘device’ that receives a CE mark for approval.
In fact Europe has well over 100 injectable fillers with a CE mark, yet in America only the FDA, which regulates food and drugs, has cleared six as they treat them with the same respect as full medicines.
Review: Professor Sir Bruce Keogh
Bio-Alcamid, the permanent filler which was injected into Jo’s face, is no longer made.
It was launched in 2003 and used in cosmetic surgery within the NHS and clinics mainly to treat HIV patients with hollow faces.
But it is not the only product that has slipped through the safety net.
Adds Dr Khan: “It’s too easy for a product to come to market without any long-term testing and results.
"To get a CE mark you can test your product on just 10 to 20 people and only have to follow them for around six months.
"I think fillers must be treated as medicines and only administered by doctors.
“The review only scratches the surface as the industry needs regulating. I don’t this review goes far enough.
"Just having a qualification doesn’t necessarily mean the patient is safe.
“I think that injecting any substance should only be carried out by trained medical doctors.
"A far-reaching overhaul of this industry would create changes at a Europe-wide level. These plans are only one step in a journey that is long overdue.
"We now want to see these guidelines implemented as soon as possible.”
How to make sure your filler jab is safe
Dr Aamer Khan runs Harley Street Skin Clinic in London and has this advice:
? Always visit a reputable trained aesthetic medical practitioner experienced in facial injectable treatments.
? The safety of the material used is very important. There are over 100 types of dermal fillers and not all have demonstrated predictable long-term results with a reliable safety profile, so do ensure you are being treated with a scientifically-approved product. Ask what type of filler will be used and whether there have been complications.
? There are two main types of dermal filler available: permanent and non-permanent. Never ever have a permanent synthetic filler, such as silicone, because if you have an allergic reaction it is almost impossible to remove.
? The only permanent solution that I would consider is fat transfer, which uses your own fat.
? The most commonly used facial fillers are hyaluronic acid (HA) based fillers (eg Juvederm, Restylane or Radiesse ranges). HA is a substance producedn aturally in the body that hydrates and adds volume to skin – ask your doctor to show you the product prior to injection.
If the person injecting it does not disclose the material used, this should be a red flag.
? Research the usual prices in your area. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is and walk away from the clinic.
? Be honest with your doctor about previous injections or health issues such as shingles or herpes as a filler injection could trigger a flare-up.
Courageous Adrianne Haslet-Davis will appear next week on Dancing With The Stars just three weeks after her amputation
Determined: Adrianne will appear on Dancing With The Stars
A professional dancer who had part of her left leg blown off by the Boston bombers has vowed to carry on dancing - and is to appear on the American version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Courageous Adrianne Haslet-Davis will appear next week on Dancing With The Stars just three weeks after her amputation.
The 32-year-old has become the symbol of American resilience since the attack 10 days ago, which left three people dead and 282 injured.
A crew from Dancing With the Stars, which is judged by Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli, is travelling to Boston to film a segment of the popular show.
Producers invited Adrianne to perform after Derek Hough, who was once linked to Cheryl Cole, said he would be “thrilled” to dance with her.
On hearing of the move Adrianne messaged a friend “OHMUGOD!!!!!!!!!!! I loooove Derek!!!!!!”.
This week Adrianne said: “Dancing is my life. Yeah, having my foot blown off, that really sucks. But I can’t wallow in woe.”
She has also vowed to run next year’s marathon saying: “I will crawl across the finish line, literally crawl, if it means I finish it.
Ballroom dance teacher Adrianna was hit by the second as she watched the race with her husband, Air Force captain Adam Davis.
In action: Adrianne on the ballroom dancefloor
AP
Of the blast she said: “I remember thinking, ‘That’s so gross,’ and being terrified that this is the moment I was going to die.
“I was screaming ‘I’m a ballroom dancer! I’m a ballroom dancer! Just save my foot’.”
Her injured husband took off his belt to make a tourniquet to help save her life after brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev detonated two bombs close to the finishing line .
The day after the attack, she woke up at Boston Medical Centre and saw her mother.
“I told my mom ‘My foot feels like it’s asleep.’ And she said, “Adrianne, you don’t have a foot anymore.”
Hough, 27, said: “It’s hard for anyone to really quite understand what she must be going through and what she’s going to go through with rehab and getting her balance back.
“But if she has the determination and she has the passion - and it sounds like she does - she’s going to run that marathon and she’s going to be dancing again. It’s not going to slow her down.”
The news came as it emerged bungling agents from the FBI and CIA allowed Boston bomber Tamerlan to carry out his deadly attack despite adding his name to their terrorism database 18 months ago.
Both US intelligence services had been warned “multiple times” by the Russian counterparts, the FSB, the 26-year-old had become radicalised and posed a increasing threat.
Today the two agencies were under increasing pressure to explain how the brothers were allowed to carry out the bombings despite being known to the authorities.
The terrorists paid for the bombs with their dole money to the fury of Americans.
Officials said Dzhokhar, 19, was unarmed when police captured him hiding inside a boat in a Watertown’s residents back yard bringing in to question whether he did try to take his own life.
He still remains in hospital but is now refusing to answer questions despite confessing to the crime before being read his rights.
He blurted out his comments after he was challenged over claims Mr Cameron had made misleading remarks about his local food ban
A young sidekick of David Cameron has claimed hard-up families are turning to food banks because they’ve wasted their money on booze.
The Twitter outburst by Liam Walker caused outrage in the Prime Minister’s constituency.
Mr Walker, 22, who leads the youth wing of the Tory party in West Oxfordshire, which includes Witney, suggested anyone would take food if it was free.
He then added on the social networking site: “I’ve seen some ‘food bank users’ in the pubs of Witney” – implying they did not need the help.
Witney East councillor Duncan Enright slammed Mr Walker, saying: “It is disgraceful that a local Conservative should attack people who are forced to rely on food banks.”
And Jo Cypher, who runs the Oxfordshire West Food Bank in Witney, said more and more rely on it.
She went on: “One woman who has parcels from us said she didn’t eat for a week before our help. She was making sure her children were fed first.
“The change in benefits is causing a lot of problems. Mums are struggling. What has been said about users being in the pub is not true.”
Boasts: Tory youth leader Liam Walker
Phil Harris
Mr Walker, who has been pictured proudly posing next to the PM on Twitter, blurted out his comments after he was challenged over claims Mr Cameron had made misleading remarks about his local food bank.
During Prime Minister’s Questions on January 30, Labour’s Dave Watts asked: “Why is the Prime Minister frightened to visit a food bank? Could it be that, if he visited one, he would see the heartless Britain that he is creating?”
Mr Cameron responded that food banks went up 10 fold under Labour, before adding that his local operation was set up “five years ago” before he was PM.
But Witney local Richard MacKenzie said the food bank was just over a year old.
Mr MacKenzie wrote: “He [the PM] also said he had just spoken to the man who runs it, but it’s run by a woman – and apparently, she’s never spoken to him. Did he intentionally mislead?”
Mr Walker claimed Mr Cameron was referring to another food bank.
His comments came as it was revealed 350,000 used food banks last year, nearly treble the figure from 2011.
Among them were 126,889 children.
Oxfam’s UK Poverty Director Chris Johnes, said: “Instead of taking money from people who can’t feed themselves, the Government should target wealthy tax-dodgers.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman yesterday said: “The Government has taken action to help families.”
Mr Walker yesterday boasted he was off to meet Mr Cameron and was spotted walking into No10 at 5pm.
But it sounds as though someone found his comments unfit for consumption.
He later tweeted: “I apologise for my previous tweet. Food banks do a fantastic job.”
DRUGS and a stun gun have been found on board Justin Bieber's tour bus, Swedish police said today.
Police said a small amount of unidentified narcotics was discovered when officers raided the empty bus under a concert venue in Stockholm, where Bieber was performing last night.
Police raided the tour bus after smelling marijuana when it was parked outside Bieber's hotel.
The drug squad was alerted and conducted the search during the concert.
Police spokesman Lars Bystrom said today that no one has been arrested.
'Marijuana' ... cops raided the bus after smelling drugs
He declined to identify the drug, saying it had been sent to a laboratory for an analysis.
Bystrom said in a statement: "A colleague felt a strong smell of marijuana, like someone had been smoking in the bus".
