David Calvert has become the victim of an internet campaign which claims he is the infamous child killer.

The Fleetwood dad-of-four has been named in messages sent to mobile phones across the country in the last few days.

A group on social networking website Facebook – calling on people to kill Mr Calvert – had attracted 2,500 "fans" before it was taken down by administrators.

This is the second time in five years the 27-year-old has been falsely accused of being Venables.

In 2005, Mr Calvert approached The Gazette to reveal how he was terrified he would be attacked.

Mr Calvert said: "People have been turning up at my neighbours' houses with pictures of the killers printed off the internet and saying one of them is me.

"Now I hear threats are being made and I'm worried that someone will come for me or my girlfriend or hurt my kids."

He says he and his family have now gone into hiding.

The problems arose when Liverpool-born Mr Calvert moved to Fleetwood in 2003 and admitted to neighbours he had served time.

He had been sentenced to four months for fraud, but locals mistook his honesty for a revelation he was living a secret life.

Venables and accomplice Robert Thompson were given new identities when they were freed from custody in 2001.

Venables is now back behind bars after a "serious" breach of the terms of his release licence.

According to reports, 27-year-old Venables, who was 10 when he and Thompson carried out the brutal killing, is being investigated over allegations of child pornography.