...over libellous tweet

Alan Davies could be sued by Lord McAlpine over an ill-advised tweet over false child abuse allegations.

The Tory peer is reported to be taking actions against possibly hundreds of Twitter users who spread false rumours about him, after the BBC’s Newsnight alleged a senior political figure was involved in historic abuse in North Wales.

On the day of the broadcast, Davies tweeted: ‘Any clues as to who this Tory paedophile is...?’

He then retweeted to his 440,000 followers a post from a twitter user in Finland saying: ‘Lord mcalpine, some would say.’

Both posts are still visible in Davies’ timeline.

According to the Sunday Times, lawyers for McAlpine are planning libel action against a ‘very long list’ of those who repeated the false claims online. They are said to have found 1,000 original tweets and a further 9,000 retweets

He reportedly plans to make each of them pay a nominal amount — possibly as little as £5 each — which he will donate to a children’s charity.

But he is said to want to take more serious action against the most prominent tweeters who named him, including Sally Bercow – the wife of the Commons Speaker.

The BBC last week agreed to pay McAlpine £185,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

Published: 18 Nov 2012