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The British Medical Journal in 2011 documented how Wakefield systematically falsified the data about his subjects to fabricate an association between the vaccine and autism.

It said the government's lack of oversight enabled the "mass exportation of children" by private agencies that were driven by profit, and found examples of fraud, falsified records and coercion.

He said "the ombudsman's report has been scathing", claiming that there had been "an attempted coverup, notes went missing and falsified, we are fuming".

Reprieve says other witnesses in the case have similarly retracted the statements they gave to police when appearing to give evidence at trial, with some even testifying their statements had been falsified.

However, he did not have that much money — having produced falsified brokerage and bank statements that inflated his financial assets, according to authorities.