Andrew Ashdown with the grand mufti of Syria. He said that the White Helmets were militants
Andrew Ashdown with the grand mufti of Syria. He said that the White Helmets were militants

An Anglican priest has accused volunteer rescuers of keeping an injured Syrian child untreated and covered in dust and blood in a propaganda exercise against President Assad.

The Rev Andrew Ashdown, whose frequent trips to Syria have led to criticism that he has been appeasing its government, said that the White Helmets, who are funded by the British government and have been nominated for the Nobel peace prize, were militants.

Omran Daqneesh, a victim of White Helmets abuse (video screen grab)

He showed an audience a slide of himself posing happily with ten fighters from the Hezbollah militia, which is backed by Iran, and said the Muslim paramilitaries had protected a Syrian Christian monastery. He shared a platform at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London at the weekend with Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the…