LONDON: Childcare guru Gina Ford has threatened to shut down an Internet site used by 250,000 mothers because of a series of allegedly libellous attacks made against her.
Ford, whose prescriptive approach to parenting has helped her sell millions of books despite her being childless, has taken exception to comments on Mumsnet, one of Britain’s largest websites for mothers.
Lawyers for Ford wrote to Mumsnet’s service provider DSC last month demanding the site be "disabled with immediate effect". They cited a series of attacks including one posting on a discussion board dated July 21, in which Ford is accused of strapping "babies to rockets and firing them into south Lebanon".
Her lawyers contend that in another posting she is branded "unpleasant and unhygienic" and that in a third she is accused of being "cruel, uncaring and justifiably reviled" for suggesting in The Contented Little Baby Book that she advised a mother to leave a five-month-old baby to cry for three hours.
In the letter, which has now been published on Mumsnet, Ford’s lawyers, Foot Anstey law firm, state: "We are aware that over a significant period of time numerous postings have been made on the website which are highly defamatory of our client."
Mumsnet is now asking its members to stop discussing "Gina Ford, her parenting methods or her books on our talk boards".
A statement on the website states: "It is a surreal and rather sad moment. Surreal because, whatever you feel about her, Gina Ford is one of Britain’s most respected authorities on raising babies - banning all mention of her on a website is a bit like barring discussion of Manchester United from a football phone-in. Sad because Ford has plenty of fans both among Mumsnet members and here at Mumsnet HQ, indeed she was for some time a member and contributor to the site."
Justine Roberts, who co-founded Mumsnet six years ago, said: "Gina Ford is one of the wealthiest authors about children and babies and is trying to stop mothers having a website where they can offer support to one another."
Mark Stephens, the media lawyer acting for the website, said he was concerned Ford was acting disproportionately. He said Mumsnet had insufficient resources to become involved in any costly legal battle.
Ford’s lawyers were not able for comment yesterday. But sources suggested that by posting the letter on the website, Mumsnet had breached copyright and legal confidentiality.
Ford, who was born in Scotland, published The Contented Little Baby Book in 1999 after a career as a maternity nurse. In 2004 she said she was always tagged "the childless maternity nurse". – London Evening Standard |
