A campaigner accused of spreading discredited claims of a Satanic paedophile ring is to appear in court today after breaching bail conditions.

Sabine McNeill will appear at Southwark Crown Court charged with four counts of harassment and 15 of breaching a restraining order.

The 74-year-old was taken into custody on March 5 and was being held in HMP Bronzefield.

The appearence follows family division judge Mrs Justice Pauffley’s ruling in March 2015 that two young children were forced to take part in a “baseless” campaign and had their innocence stolen by their mother, Ella Draper, and her partner, Abraham Christie.

The judge gave a fact finding judgment in care proceedings brought by Barnet Council involving two children, aged nine and eight at the time, who were said to be at the centre of a cult’s abuse.

She said that in September 2014 “lurid allegations of the most serious kind” were drawn to the attention of the Metropolitan Police suggesting the children were part of a large group of children abused by the Satanic cult.

The children’s father, Ricky Dearman, was said to be the leader of the cult and teachers at Christ Church Primary School in Hampstead and a priest at the adjacent church were said to be members.

After trial in 2016 McNeill was hit with a restraining order preventing her from harassing Rev Conrad and his congregaton.

The claims of abuse were originally made by the two young children, who were taken into foster care.