Campaigner's anger at paedophile taunt

Feb 6 2009 By Vicki Eltis

Clive Hurst

A Weybridge man fighting rogue acting and modelling agencies says his opponents have resorted to dirty tricks to silence him - including falsely branding him a paedophile.

Clive Hurst, an actor of Portmore Park Way, is a senior figure in acting union Equity and has campaigned for 16 years against agencies who take money up front promising work that never materialises.

For his trouble the 60-year-old has taxis, skips and pizzas, he hasn't ordered, sent to his home at all hours of the day and night, and in the latest incident on January 27 two women, who he claims are from a rogue casting agency, held their protest outside his home.

They carried banners with the slogan "Clive, is it true?", while a man took photographs.

It started at 8.25am when Clive's phone rang and the voice on the other end said: "We are outside your house."

Clive said: "I do not know how long they had been there before the phone call. There is a school less than 100 yards from my house. I wonder what the parents, children and my neighbours thought?"

He phoned the police and took out his video camera to get evidence, adding: "I have nothing against someone criticizing me on my campaign, but intimating that I am a paedophile, to shut me up, is not decent or honest."

Police arrested a 38-year-old woman from London, a 46-year-old from Fulham and a 25-year-old woman from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, on suspicion of a public order offence and an alleged assault.

They have since been released on police bail until Tuesday March 10 while further inquiries take place.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or with any information should contact Detective Constable John Hobbs at Staines CID on 0845 125 2222, quoting reference EL/09/707.

See a video of the incident on YouTube