Deeply shocking': Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school

"It is the hectoring tone, the jeering quality, in Nigel Farage's voice today that brings it all back for Peter Ettedgui. He would sidle up to me and growl: Hitler was right,' or Gas them,' sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers, Ettedgui says of his experience of being in a class with Farage at Dulwich college in south London. Ettedgui, 61, is a Bafta- and Emmy-winning director and producer whose credits include Kinky Boots, McQueen"

"Back then he was a 13-year-old boy at a loss as to how to handle what he describes as a sudden and inexplicable intrusion of antisemitism in his life. This is the first time Ettedgui has spoken in such detail of his alleged experiences, but he is not the only one. In recent weeks, the Guardian has heard allegations from more than a dozen school contemporaries of Farage who recount incidents of deeply offensive behaviour throughout his teenage years."

"This is not the whole picture. Others who knew Farage then remember he was bumptious, rude, provocative and enjoyed being the centre of attention, but do not recall the behaviour described by Ettedgui and others. There is no claim that Farage the man must still hold the same views as the ones ascribed to Farage the boy. But their memories of him left marks ones that haven't dissolved with the passage of time, and are often revealed again when he talks about issues."

Peter Ettedgui, a 61-year-old Bafta- and Emmy-winning director, recounts being targeted by Nigel Farage at Dulwich College, describing antisemitic taunts including 'Hitler was right' and imitated gas hissing. More than a dozen former school contemporaries have provided allegations of deeply offensive teenage behaviour by Farage. Other contemporaries remember him as bumptious, rude and provocative but do not recall antisemitic incidents. Some ex-pupils express shame for participating in racist songs. Concern centers on enduring emotional marks and an apparent lack of contrition over decades, and some observers seek clearer moral accountability from a politician who could become prime minister.

Read at www.theguardian.com