Cyril Smith Archive
As the row ratchets up over claims of an establishment cover-up of child abuse involving the late Sir Cyril Smith, here are the original stories that ran in Private Eye 454 and in the Rochdale Alternative Press (RAP), in 1979.

From Eye 454, 11th May 1979 (click article to enlarge):

cyril smith

The original shocking RAP story (click each image to enlarge):

cyril smith cyril smith cyril smith

And their follow up (click to enlarge):

cyril smith
ONLY IN THE MAGAZINE
Private Eye Issue 1668
In This Issue
Trump's latest distraction distracts from other distractions distracting from Trump distractions... TV highlights: Lord of the Files... Why you should move abroad at once... Cruella fury over mental health jibe... Man admits pretending to be admiral... Trump set to fire top adviser after brutal assault... Trump may not be reliable source of factual information warns AI... Film highlights: Hamitup... The Beckham family rift: a symposium, by Craig Brown

Pulling power
Why the big brewers are weakening their beers

Beijing buddies
The Mail's mixed messages over China

False starts
What the numbers say about Reform backer Nick Candy

Read these stories and much more - only in the magazine. Subscribe here to get delivery direct to your home and never miss an issue!
ONLY £2.99
SUBSCRIBE HERE
NEXT ISSUE ON SALE
19th February 2026
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Private Eye Issue 1667
MORE FROM PRIVATE EYE