Jack the Ripper museum founder gets death threats

The founder of a Jack the Ripper Museum has revealed he has received death threats from anti-gentrification protesters — but insisted he won’t give in to their “bullying” tactics.

Police were called in to protect the museum after anarchist activists threatened to protest outside it as a follow-up to their cereal cafe demonstration, where they daubed graffiti and broke windows.

The protest was called off at the 11th hour by activist group Class War and just a handful of people turned up to criticise the “Manhattanisation” of London’s East End.

Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe, the founder of the museum in Cable Street, compared Class War’s violent threats to Hitler’s brown shirts.

He said: “They are absolutely trying to intimidate me. They have made personal attacks on me, my friends and my family. I’ve had death threats from them and they have told me they are going to burn my museum down and that they know where I live and I should watch my back.

“Everything about the museum protesters, when they say they are going to come and burn us down, reminds me of Hitler’s brown shirts and the fascists. I’ve never given in to bullies and I’m not about to now.” He said protesters should try to lobby the Government to change policy to tackle the housing crisis, rather than try to drive small businesses like his to close.

However, the small group of protesters who did turn up said they are battling for survival in the area their family have called home for generations.