[Arneldo]

Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks has agreed to axe its upcoming child killer plot just days before transmission.

Last month, 42-year-old Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered child James Bulger, expressed her outrage at the Liverpool-based serial embarking on a storyline that she believed to be based on her son's murder.

In scenes that were scheduled to air this week, Loretta Jones's (Melissa Walton) past was to return to haunt her in the form of her old friend Chrissy (Amber Hodgkiss). It would soon be revealed that the pair have been living under false names since they bullied a 12-year-old to death when they were the same age.

Despite the subtle differences between the storyline and the 1993 Bulger case, Fergus demanded a meeting with the show's bosses at its production house Lime Pictures in Liverpool.

She subsequently attended a private screening of four episodes, before meeting with Hollyoaks' executive producer Tony Wood and Lime Pictures' Managing Director Sean Marley to express her upset over the story as it "carried distinctive similarities to events following the murder of her son".

Speaking to Click Liverpool, Fergus said: "It was constructive meeting and I accept what they told me - that there was never any intention on the part of Hollyoaks to copy or mirror events surrounding James' death.

"Having said that, there was no doubt in my mind that the plot carried some of the hallmarks of what happened to that evil pair after they were convicted of murdering James."

She continued: "The part that I found most disturbing was that there were scenes in which two child killers were seen to be giving each other sympathy.

"The producers said that in the long run, the story would not have been favourable to the killers and in the future they would be shown to suffer the consequences from their crime.

"But I was shocked to see two people on screen, who were immediately identified as 'Thompson and Venables' in my mind, talking about how they had murdered another child. Played by glamorous young actresses, they were the centre of attention and looking to each other for support.

More soon.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s1...ller-plot.html

[Billy]

I'M FUMING.
Melissa Walton must be SO gutted not to have that sort of material to work with.

[InOne]

Ah no, that is just ridiculous. You know she has complained about quite alot of stuff over the years. It's almost like not moving on. It's just stupid and PC gone mad. Good god Hollyoaks wtf!!!!!

[*mazedsalv**]

What the ****??
Its ridiculous!! WHY? If the producers handled the story with good taste it would have been brilliant. HO have done many issues in the past brilliantly, eg. racism, self harming, anorexia.

[InOne]

What they gonna do instead?

[Beastie]

That's a shame, it sounded like such a great storyline and I was going to be a hardcore Hollyoaks fan again. Stupid woman complaining!

[Beastie]

Originally Posted by InOne

What they gonna do instead?

Hopefully kill off the teeny boppers!

[Scarlett.]

Originally Posted by thebeast

Hopefully kill off the teeny boppers!

PLEASE!



but this whole storyline could have just been for publicity, and was never meant to air

[Jack_]

Ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous.

They should just go ahead with it anyway, despite having the meeting.

[Alf]

thanks once again pc world
political correctness will be the downfall of this country

[Jords]

I dont really watch Hollyoaks but the storyline sounded good.

Its silly, some plots have women who have miscarriages for example, you dont get women all phoning up complaining its happened to them. I know this is more serious but I dont think they should have cancelled it.

[Shaun]

Oh so Jame Bulger's mum now has the monopoly and what is and isn't OK when it comes to fictionalised child-killings?

Stupid bitch.

[Princess]

Gutted! It's ridiculous.

[MrGaryy]

so disappointed, it was going to be an epic storyline

[DrunkerThanMoses]

Its a shame as this storyline sounded intrested and Im sure that it would be handled well, as Holyloaks, altough some times over the top, its has handled some good storylines.

But at the end of the day it was always going to get complians because off what the topic is about.

I hope they turn it into a intresing story, what ever the storyline is.... maybe she will kill chrissy?

[InOne]

Watched Tuesdays episode, it's definitely gone

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by InOne

What they gonna do instead?

Making a time machine to go 6 months into the future apperantly.

[Vicky.]

How pathetic.

Fair enough, its sad her son was killed...

But to mess with storylines in soaps is ridiculous

[Mrluvaluva]

It was a controversial story line but it's a shame they had to axe it as I am sure it would have been quite a powerful one.

[InOne]

Well I don't even think it was that controverisal really.

[Patrick]

Some soap should make a Madeline McCann storyline with one of their Kid Actors.

Little Ginger Tiffany Dean from EE could go missing.

[Mrluvaluva]

Originally Posted by InOne

Well I don't even think it was that controverisal really.

I don't think the subject of child killers has been tackled in a soap before?

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by Mrluvaluva

I don't think the subject of child killers has been tackled in a soap before?

Nope, I think another soap should get the balls to do it.
Hollyoaks is in Liverpool I take it?

So obv it wouldnt work there.

Corrie or Eastenders should deffenatly do it.

I would prefer Eastenders to do it as there better with things involving Troubled kids lol

But if Corrie ever did it, then I would watch the entire Storyline and I dont usually watch Corrie.

[Scarlett.]

Hollyoaks is set in Chester btw

[InOne]

Originally Posted by Mrluvaluva

I don't think the subject of child killers has been tackled in a soap before?

Not sure but they've done pretty much everything else. I think what annoyed the mother was they would be filming near where it happened. But, the Mother has had chance to get revenege or at least ask why, she saw Venables one time and was too enraged to do anything. She needs to move on, get on with her life. It could be seen as awareness more than anything.