London – A fathers’ rights group known for breaching government security said Wednesday that it was disbanding after a newspaper reported that some of its extremist members plotted to kidnap Prime Minister Tony Blair’s 5-year-old son.
The Sun newspaper reported Wednesday that extremist sympathizers of the group Fathers 4 Justice were hatching a plan to abduct Leo Blair and hold him for a short period to publicize the misery of fathers denied access to their children.
The newspaper said police carried out a security assessment after uncovering the plot, including what protection should be given to Blair’s other children – sons Euan, 21, and Nicholas, 20, and daughter Kathryn, 17.
The British Broadcasting Corp. cited police officials it did not identify as saying the plan got only as far as the “chattering stage.”
Later Wednesday, Fathers 4 Justice founder Matt O’Connor told Britain’s Channel 4 News that he decided to close the group because “extremists” had undermined its credibility.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done, but if we’re going down this road with extremist elements, then it’s come to an end,” he said.
