ANTONIO Staffieri more than played his part in the fight for freedom.

During the First World War he was badly wounded as he fought in the trenches alongside the Allies. And after emigrating to England from Italy he decided to take out British citizenship in protest at Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia.

But this did not stop the hardworking ice-cream shop owner, from Chester-le-Street, being branded a traitor and being secretly placed on a shadowy list of suspects to be arrested if Hitler invaded.

MI5 and Special Branch files declassified for the first time in more than 60 years, reveal that although he had not been back to his native land for 20 years and was not associated with any Italian fascists, he was included because he was of 'boastful disposition, resembles Mussolini and is not popular with the public.'

His son Raphael has spoken of his shock and anger at his father's listing.

Mr Staffieri, who now lives in Scotland, said: "What a lot of rubbish. I am furious to find out after all this time. Where does this malicious information come from?

"My father fought in the First World War when the Italians were Allies. He was bayoneted and had to have a kidney removed because of it."

Mr Staffieri said his father moved to London then in 1928 to Chester-le-Street to set up the Temperance Bar, later renamed the Bridge End Caf.

He said: "When Italy invaded Ethiopia he foresaw what was going to happen and thought there might be trouble. The Blackshirts had come to his notice. He hated them and wanted nothing to do with them.

"He decided to take out British citizenship as a show of solidarity. My father was a religious man who never touched alcohol, but he went out and had a drink to celebrate the night he was naturalised, he was so happy."

Mr Staffieri, who was aged 11 at the outbreak of war, did not miss the consequences of war paranoia either.

He said: "When Italy declared war there was quite a crowd congregated outside our shop, but I think they were there more out of curiosity than anything else.

"There were a handful of troublemakers, of course, but the majority of people were considerate."

But the Home Office did not take such a charitable view.

Mr Staffieri said: "Because my mother was not naturalised, the Home Office sent my mother away. She went to stay with friends in Kendal, Cumbria, and because I was the youngest I went with her.

"We were separated from my father for 18 months before the Home Office said she could move back."

When he returned, he faced bullying at school by children who were 'emulating the views of their parents' but he stood up to his tormentors.

Edward Citroen, whose mother later married Antonio Staffieri, said: "At that time no Italians were popular, just because Britain was at war with Germany."

Local historian Mary Mossop said: "I remember their ice-cream shop at the bottom end of town. We used to go there every Saturday."

Another local historian, Raymond Selkirk, said: "They had a bad time, just because they were Italian. There were instances of windows being broken. There was a German baker in the town who had just as hard a time."

Raphael Staffieri, who went on to join the Army, took over his father's shop in 1958 and ran it until 1975.

He said: "Hopefully, this will all set the record straight."