CHIEF Minister Frank Walker will urge Britain’s political leaders today to ignore ‘lurid’ stories spread in the international media about the Island’s historical child abuse inquiry.

Senator Walker said that he was making the move at the British Irish Council meeting in Scotland today because he wanted to ensure that there was no misunderstanding among his fellow chief ministers in the council about the position in Jersey in relation to the inquiry.

He said: ‘There is little doubt that the perception which has been given out in the national and international media is that there has been probably the worst case of child abuse in the history of the British Isles here in Jersey and that the authorities are not as determined or as diligent in their efforts to bring criminals to justice and protecting victims as we should be.’

Senator Walker and Treasury and Resources Minister Terry Le Sueur are in Scotland today representing the Island at the meeting which will also be attended by senior politicians from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and Guernsey. The meeting will be chaired by Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond. Senator Walker told the JEP that he contacted Mr Salmond earlier this week to ask if a slot in the session could be made available to him to address the council about the child abuse investigation in Jersey.