lib dem care minister norman lamb has been through the ordeal of his son being 'blackmailed' a minister last night told how he became drawn into a 'nightmare' blackmail plot over a video of his son taking cocaine norman lamb, the lib dem care minister, had to call the police after his son archie's flatmate demanded cash from him and sent threatening messages he paid the lodger £7,500 to move out but says the man then tried to ruin archie's career in the music business mr lamb, 57, said: 'this man has a violent past we were worried for our safety' as his party unveiled the £1 billion boost to mental health services that mr lamb has campaigned for, the senior mp admitted his son has been through 'very dark periods' archie, now 27, was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder at the age of 15 and has been on medication ever since he went into the music industry, founding a record label called takeover entertainment and becoming an early champion of rapper tinchy stryder, who went on to top the charts but his father said that archie had also fallen in with a bad crowd, leading to the blackmail attempt 'he's had amazing success and he's also had some very dark periods, and that led to him drinking too much and, as we understand it, getting into bad company and drugs,' said the north norfolk mp mr lamb added he was 'immensely proud' that his son had escaped from his problems and rebuilt his career, and bought him a london flat where he could find 'peace and tranquillity' but then the alleged blackmailer, who is also thought to be 'the source' of the drugs that archie took, moved in mr lamb took legal advice on how to evict his son's flatmate and was told he should offer him £7,500 – money his son owed plus compensation for having to move out archie lamb (left) with rapper tinchy strider mr lamb said he is 'immensely proud' his son had escaped from his problems and rebuilt his career before the recent alleged blackmail attempt  despite handing over the cash, the tenant refused to leave – 'and at that point i concluded we were being blackmailed and we had to go to the police,' mr lamb told the sunday mirror he found out just last week that the man said he had a video appearing to show archie snorting the class a drug 'this guy sought to blackmail my son,' the minister said 'we were confronted with threatening emails, text messages saying things like 'underestimate me at your peril' we have been confronted by a criminal who has sought to blackmail us' the sunday mirror said the former flatmate insists he was simply trying to recover money he was owed police are reportedly looking into the case the senior lib dem referred to the issue when he took to the stage at the party's spring conference in liverpool he said: 'before i begin my speech i just wanted to say a few words about  the senior lib dem referred to the issue when he took to the stage at the party's spring conference in liverpool  a personal matter, something you may have read about or heard about this morning 'my family has had our own experience of mental health problems, as our oldest son was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder at the age of 15 'it's something he has made a decision himself to be open about 'this has been a very painful time for our family as a parent you just want to keep your children safe, to look out for them and to know that they are going to be ok 'but my family is not unique our experience has made me even more determined to bring mental health out of the shadows and to fight for better care for all of the families affected' mr lamb, whose words were met with applause by the audience, added: 'can i thank so many of you who have been so kind and supportive this morning it is enormously appreciated, not just by me but by mary my wife, and our whole family'
7,500 norman lamb archie tinchy stryder lib dem care
lib dem care minister norman lamb had to call police after his son archie's flatmate demanded cash from him and sent threatening messages  paid lodger £7,500 to move out but man then 'tried to ruin archie's career' alleged blackmailer claims to have video of archie snorting class a drug  minister's son founded record label and championed rapper tinchy stryder 