8 November 2012 Last updated at 09:31 ET

David Cameron warns of 'witch-hunt' over child abuse claims

David Cameron: "There is a danger this could turn into a witch-hunt"

David Cameron fears a "witch-hunt" against gay people as a result of child abuse allegations circulating online.

The prime minister made his comment after being unexpectedly handed a list of names on ITV1's This Morning, which the presenter said were being mentioned online as paedophiles.

The PM, who did not look at the names, said anyone with any information about paedophiles should go to the police.

He was addressing historic claims of a paedophile ring linked to No 10.

The issue was raised by Labour MP Tom Watson in the Commons a fortnight ago.

There have also since been claims by a victim that an unnamed prominent Conservative politician from the Thatcher era was involved in abuse in north Wales.

Presenter Phillip Schofield told the prime minister that there were lots of allegations circulating online about people who might have carried out abuse.

Online gossip

Mr Cameron said that he had heard "all sorts of names being bandied around".

During the live interview, the presenter handed the PM a card with the names on it, saying that they were people Mr Cameron knew and asking whether he would be talking to them.

Mr Cameron replied with a warning: "There is a danger, if we're not careful, that this could turn into a sort of witch-hunt, particularly against people who are gay and I'm worried about the sort of thing you are doing right now - giving me a list of names that you've taken off the internet."

Mr Cameron said that if anyone had any information about anyone who was a paedophile "no matter how high up in British society they are - that's what the police are for".

Downing Street sources said Mr Cameron's fears about a "witch-hunt" were prompted by his objection to online gossip associating homosexuality with paedophilia.

A senior aide to the prime minister said blameless people who were not connected to any child abuse investigations currently being carried out were being targeted by online gossip.

It was "important allegations are handled properly - and people's reputations are not unnecessarily smeared", added the source.

A string of official inquiries have been launched into child abuse allegations since revelations about the activities of BBC television star Jimmy Savile.

Earlier this week, Home Secretary Theresa May announced a new police inquiry into allegations of child abuse in north Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.

Separately, Mrs Justice Macur will investigate the terms of the Waterhouse abuse inquiry, which began in 1996.

The Conservative Party has confirmed it is investigating reports linking one of Margaret Thatcher's former close aides to the allegations.

Child protection charity the NSPCC has called on the government to commit to an over-arching "lessons learned" review to pull together the findings from all the current inquiries into child abuse, once they are completed.

Source : bbc[dot]co[dot]uk