A POLISH priest and broadcaster has branded the country’s president a “fraudster” who is in the pockets of a Jewish lobby, and described the first lady as a “witch”, according to a news magazine.

Wprost, one of Poland’s most respected publications, claims it has obtained a recording of Father Tadeusz Rydzyk in a scathing attack on the president, Lech Kaczynski, and his wife, Maria.

The magazine says Fr Rydzyk vented his fury at a closed-door conference in the city of Torun. In particular, he savaged the president for apparently caving in to pressure from Jewish groups seeking compensation for property seized by Poland’s Communist regime after the Second World War.

“You know what this is about: Poland giving [the Jews] $65 billion. They will come to you and say, ‘Give me your coat. Take off your trousers. Give me your shoes’,” the magazine quotes Fr Rydzyk as saying. He also apparently suggests that Mrs Kaczynski, whom he describes as a witch, should experience euthanasia because of her support for limited abortion rights.

Fr Rydzyk, the founder and head of Radio Maryja, a popular, conservative and nationalistic radio station, who also runs a TV station and a newspaper, called Wprost’s story a “provocation” and said his words had been taken out of context.

But he did add, however, that “the truth must be told even if it irritates Satan”, which has been seen as an indication that the recording is credible.

The magazine, in turn, says it has verified the authenticity of the recording and stands by it.

Although Mr Kaczynski did not comment, a presidential aide said: “If this recording is genuine, it’s absolutely scandalous.”

A criminal prosecutor has announced that he will investigate the authenticity of the recording, and, if verified, the priest could find himself in court. Under Polish law, insulting the president is a criminal offence.

The controversy is a severe embarrassment to Poland’s ruling coalition. The government has always sought strong relations with Fr Rydzyk and his media empire as a means of courting Poland’s arch-Catholic and nationalistic voters.

The station claims to have three million regular listeners, and its deeply conservative and nationalistic message has dovetailed with a government eager to position itself as a protector of morals and the Polish nation.

Cabinet ministers are regular guests, and on Sunday, Mr Kaczynski’s twin brother, Jaroslaw, the prime minister, was among 150,000 at a ceremony to mark the station’s 15th anniversary.

The controversy will further blacken the reputation of Radio Maryja, which has attracted frequent accusations of xenophobia and antisemitism.

Boris Johnson has until noon today to declare whether he will stand to be the Conservative candidate for London mayor.

The controversial Tory MPs is widely expected take on Labour’s Ken Livingstone in next year’s contest.

Mr Johnson said he would only stand if he got the support of people in his non-London constituency of Henley.

The Tories have been seeking a high profile candidate for the past year.

Previous possible runners have included Greg Dyke, Sir Digby Jones, Nick Ferrari, Lord Stevens and Sir John Major.

Speculation about Mr Johnson’s decision to throw his hat into the ring intensified on Friday when the MP’s blog revealed his intention to stand, but it was removed a few minutes later as it was not “official”.

Mr Johnson told people inquiring if he would stand “to wait and see”.

In April the party set out a five-month timetable to find a candidate - shortlisting applicants to go on to an “open primary” - with all Londoners on the electoral roll being allowed to vote.

The deadline for applications is noon today, with a shortlist drawn up by August 3.

After a series of hustings, the winner will be announced at the Tory conference in September.

Mr Johnson is the shadow higher education minister and was previously editor of the Spectator magazine.

He has been a frequent guest on television shows such as Have I got News for You, and has come under fire in Liverpool and Portsmouth for critical comments he made about the cities.

A six-year-old boy died after being hanged in an apparent accident while playing with a skipping rope at his home, it emerged today.

Mason Jones was discovered by his mother on Friday evening in an upstairs bedroom of the family’s terraced home in Bury, Greater Manchester.

He and his sister had been playing with the skipping rope. Paramedics attended the scene; the boy died later in hospital.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester police said: “A police investigation into the circumstances surrounding this boy’s death was launched, but there were not found to be any suspicious circumstances, and the case has been passed to the coroner.”

Mason was a pupil at St Joseph and St Bede primary school.

His grandmother told reporters that the family were “devastated” and too upset to talk to the media.

One neighbour said: “He was a lovely little boy who always had a smile on his face and we are all in shock,” the Manchester Evening News «www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk».