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Kate and Gerry McCann have
condemned a
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Matthew Lewis has been thrown out of the party (PIC: Staffordshire Sentinel News and Meda)
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Conservative activist who
boasted about dressing up as Madeleine McCann at
a party, calling his actions "offensive".
Matthew Lewis
has been expelled from the party after telling
friends of his planned exploits at a New Year
party.
Tory chairman
Caroline Spelman said the actions of Mr Lewis, a
member of the young activist group Conservative
Future, were "completely unacceptable".
Five-year
Madeleine disappeared in 2007 during a family
holiday in Portugal.
'Intolerable'
Despite a
worldwide hunt, there has been no trace of her
since.
Mr Lewis, who
is believed to studying in London, told friends
on the Facebook website that he planned to
attend a party dressed as Madeleine McCann.
He said his
costume would include "pink pyjamas, a teddy
bear and a vial of fake blood".
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This offensive behaviour is
not only shocking but
intolerable and completely
unacceptable
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After the
party, Mr Lewis used the website to tell another
Conservative Future member that "there was a
brief moment when I thought I might have gone
too far with elements of the costume but it was
OK".
Mr Lewis was
listed by Conservative Future as its branch
chairman in Staffordshire although he is
reported to have resigned from the position last
month.
Staffordshire
Conservative Future's website now lists the post
of chairman as "vacant".
He was
pictured campaigning alongside Tory leader David
Cameron during last year's Crewe and Nantwich
by-election.
A spokesman
for the McCanns said his actions were "offensive
almost beyond belief".
"His actions are not only disgraceful in
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Kate and Gerry McCann are demanding an apology
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themselves,
they will also cause great hurt to Kate and
Gerry," he said.
"It is a
complete disgrace that Madeleine's name and
image should be made fun of in this way."
But the
spokesman praised the "swift and appropriate"
action taken by the Conservatives against Mr
Lewis.
It is
understood Mr Lewis is to make a "full and
unreserved" apology to the McCanns, which the
Conservatives hope will draw a line under the
incident.
In a
statement, Conservative Central Office said
there was "no place for this sort of person in
the party".
"This
offensive behaviour is not only shocking but
intolerable and completely unacceptable," Mrs
Spelman said. |
