Facebook mob accuses man of being Bulger killer

A Facebook group has been set up accusing an innocent man of being Jon Venables, one of the two killers of toddler James Bulger. David Calvert, aged 27, from Fleetwood, near Blackpool is in fear of his life after the group naming him attracted more than 2,000 members.

It’s not the first time that Calvert has suffered this comparison. He was subjected to a torrent of abuse five years ago when he first became the victim of rumours about his identity, which started after he told a neighbour he had spent time in jail in Liverpool for fraud in his youth. The threats became so bad that police installed a panic button in Calvert's house. Telling press he was now too scared to leave his home, he produced a family photo album to prove he wasn't Venables.

Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were released in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder of Bulger. They were granted anonymity for life for fear they would face revenge attacks.

Despite the objectionable aim of the new Facebook group, some contributors to the online discussion do show glimmerings of intelligence. One writes: "What a pointless group. You're all mental... what if David Calvert is just David Calvert?"

But the online hate mob lends some weight to a warning last night from the judge who granted Thompson and Venables anonymity. Baroness Butler-Sloss said that Venables, who has recently been returned to prison after allegedly breaching the terms of his release, could be killed if his anonymity was breached. "Those who wanted to kill him in 2001 are likely to be out there now," she told the House of Lords.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has come under pressure from the tabloids in recent days to explain why the decision has been taken to send Venables back to jail, nine years after he was released.

He has refused to do so on the basis that revealing details could prejudice the chance of a fair trial for Venables, and yesterday received some qualified support from the mother of James Bulger, Denise Fergus, who said she was "prepared to wait a bit longer" to find out the full details.