I need to report an urgent and important matter to you about the INdymedia messages - I am certain that your guidelines have been broken and an explanation would be useful. Both Dr Larry O'Hara, editor of Notes from the Borderland, and Peter Tatchell, of Outrage, have been libelled, abused and subjects of a not-so-clever hoax. The posting in question is at the top of page 1428 and purports to be from Larry O'Hara - it is not. Because you have this dangerous policy of emails being optional, someone is using O'Hara's name to post about Blackham and Webster, fascists, and Tatchell has already posted that this is a libellous hoax. Further postings in the thread threaten "knee cappings" and contain further libel and hoax stories - O'Hara has never been to Wrexham, never met a supposed Tracey Evans and is obviously not the "legal advisor to the BNP"!!

I think Indymedia owes an apology and explanation to both O'Hara and Tatchell and perhaps it is time you reviewed your totally open and unmoderated policy - in my personal opinion this is not anarchist but nihilistic and if it means that honest, brave comrades like O'Hara and Tatchell are easily libelled and smeared on what is supposed to be a leftwing website, then you need to review your guidelines.We're all for free debate - something the state, its cronies like Searchlight, and fascists dont like - but this has gone too far, with totally fabricated stories, personal insults, physical threats, impersonation and outright lies and libel.

we have a good idea why this crap has surfaced - Notes from the Borderland has recently been mentioned on the Outrage website regarding the Copeland bombings - an unfolding massive investigative story that bourgeois journalists are afraid to touch - but it would be nice if you could look into this urgently. If you can ascertain the IP numbers or any other details as to who perpertrated this hoax this would be very useful and would show laudable solidarity - whoever it was they are no friends of ours or Indymedia. I make it clear that Indymedia does a generally great job across the country but it is unfortunate that you have been used in a hoax which contains libelous information. Neither Larry O'Hara or Peter Tatchell are holograms - they are human beings with normal human rights and sensitivities. What are you going to do about this hoax - please?

David Pegg