A COMPLAINT has been made to trading standards officers about a priest who claims he can cure cancer.
Melvin Banks, who held a healing service in Isleworth last week, recently refuted claims that he was a trickster in a Chronicle interview.
At the healing service, he invited sick and disabled people to St John's Community Centre, in St John's Road, telling them he could cure them with his gift from God.
John Hunt, former chairman of the now defunct West Middlesex Hospital patient forum, sat through the three-hour service and then made a complaint to Hounslow Trading Standards.
He claims that Mr Banks is in breach of the 1939 Cancer Act.
Mr Hunt said: "At 7pm the Rev Melvin Banks stood up and announced almost immediately that during a previous visit to Horsham he had cured a young woman of cancer. He gave no other examples of his success in curing cancer."
Mr Banks said in his inter-view with the Chronicle that he had cured cancer, and has sent flyers to local homes with details of his service.
The 1939 Cancer Act states that 'no person should take part in the publication of any advertisement containing an offer to treat any person for cancer.' This Act covers not only leaflets but verbal announcements too.
Apart from Mr Banks' entourage of about 20 people, Mr Hunt counted 30 people at the Isleworth service hoping to be healed.
He also noted that envelopes were being passed around asking for contributions and orders for any of the 41 books Mr Banks said he had written.
"Just 100 minutes from the start, before any 'healing' took place, the faithful had submitted their contact details up to three times each, including one with funds," said Mr Hunt. "Most people appeared to be complying with Mr Bank's exhortations."
A trading standards spokesman said: "We have received the complaint and are investigating."
