A NORTH-EAST multimillionaire has won a libel action over claims he is a creationist who sponsors state schools to impose Christian fundamentalism on children.

Sir Peter Vardy has accepted a donation to charity in settlement of the court case.

The businessman, knighted in 2001 for services to education, took action against the publisher of the Tribune magazine and its editor, Chris McLaughlin, in London’s High Court. In 1987, Sir Peter launched the Vardy Foundation, which went on to sponsor four schools – Emmanuel College, in Gateshead; King’s Academy, in Middlesbrough; Bede Academy, in Blyth, Northumberland; and Trinity Academy, near Doncaster, in South Yorkshire.

Three of the schools have been awarded excellent inspection reports and the fourth was rated good.

In October 2009, Tribune magazine published an article under the headline, Creationist Claptrap that Beggars Belief.

The businessman’s solicitor, Jonathan Coad, told Mr Justice Tugendhat that the article claimed the foundation was imposing fundamentalist beliefs on children.

It alleged that in biology lessons pupils were being taught that evolution was as much a theory as creationism and that everything was designed by a God creator as stated in Genesis.

None of the allegations were correct, said the lawyer, who added that the schools founded by the foundation were not faith schools, let alone ones which advocated creationism.

Tribune Publications 2009 Ltd and Mr McLaughlin have accepted that the allegations were untrue.

They have apologised and paid a sum, by way of damages, to a charity of Sir Peter’s choice.

Afterwards, the businessman issued a statement, which said: “I have been saddled with this unwarranted and wholly untrue creationist label for many years.

“I felt forced to take this action in the High Court of Justice to set the record straight and finally lay the matter to rest.

“These allegations were not based on any fact and have been extremely damaging.

The court action reflects the gravity of the matter and the seriously damaging effect that such untruths can cause.”

Sir Peter is former chief executive of Reg Vardy Plc and now runs the Vardy Group of Companies with his sons.