article which hinted at "sinister facts" and asked: "Does Mrs Swinson have a vested interest in remaining in the EU?"

Oliver Down of Unity News Network told the BBC: "We did not imply anything but merely asked the question to allow readers to make up their own mind."

Others pushed the facts of the story past the breaking point.

Nye Bevan News

On 4 October a Facebook page and website called Nye Bevan News, which describes itself as "pro-proletariat" and "anti-establishment", posted its version of the story.

This time it included clearly inaccurate statements: that Mr Hames "owns" Transparency International and that the organisation is a "family company."

The editor of the page is Ben Jenkins, a 34-year-old originally from South Wales who works in a bar in London.

Mr Jenkins' page often shares positiveposts praising "Old Labour" figures like Tony Benn and Nye Bevan. It also frequently criticises "New Labour" figures like Tony Blair and his former communications chief Alastair Campbell, who is now a backer of staying in the EU.

Image copyright Facebook

When he met BBC reporters, Mr Jenkins denied that he set out to be misleading, but described the wording of his post about Swinson as "spin".

"We're all Alastair Campbell's illegitimate children," Mr Jenkins said, referring to Campbell's stint as the No 10 communications chief and the frequent description of him as a "spin doctor".

"He taught us how to do this and he can deal with the consequences."

Mr Jenkins said his page enlists a number of volunteer moderators. No money changes hands, he said, but his popular page - it