Met to stop looking at non-crime hate after Linehan case ended

The Metropolitan police have said they will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents as the Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan learned that "no further action" would be taken following his arrest last month over social media posts.

- Daniel Boffey

The 57-year-old comedy writer was detained at Heathrow on 1 September by five armed officers on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to three posts on X about trans issues.

Yesterday, Linehan said the Crown Prosecution Service had dropped the case against him, but that he still intended to sue the Met over a claim of wrongful arrest and breach of his human rights.

In a post on X, he said: “The police have informed my lawyers that I face no further action in respect of the arrest at Heathrow in September.

“After a successful hearing to get my bail conditions lifted (one which the police officer in charge of the case didn’t even bother to attend) the Crown Prosecution Service has dropped the case.

“With the aid of the Free Speech Union, I still aim to hold the police accountable for what is only the latest attempt to silence and suppress gender-critical voices on behalf of dangerous and disturbed men.”

The Met said in a statement yesterday it understood the public concern over the controversial case and this had led to its decision to stop investigating non-crime hate incidents.