Police left in ‘rock and a hard place’ over Linehan arrest storm

THE head of the police force that arrested Father Ted creator Graham Linehan said his officers are in “an impossible position” when dealing with statements made online, and should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates”.

- PRESS ASSOCIATION REPORTERS

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he would make suggestions to the UK Government about how laws governing social media posts could be changed, and is ready to test new approaches “within a matter of weeks”.

Asked about the arrest during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer said police should focus on “the most serious issues”, like knife crime and violence, and that he would “always defend” the right to free speech.

The Met came under fire after Linehan, 57, was arrested at Heathrow Airport over three posts he had made on social media about trans issues.

In his first statement after the controversy erupted, Sir Mark said: “While the decision to investigate and ultimately arrest the man was made within existing legislation, which dictates that a threat to punch someone from a protected group could be an offence, I understand the concern caused by such incidents given differing perspectives on the balance between free speech and the risks of inciting violence in the real world.

“Most reasonable people would agree that genuine threats of physical violence against an identified person or group should be acted upon by officers.

“Such actions can and do have serious and violent real-world implications.