UK police end probe into journalist’s online post after backlash

LONDON: A UK police force said on Thursday it had closed a contentious investigation into a journalist for alleged incitement of racial hatred in a social media post, following a fierce backlash.

Essex Police in southeast England said it was no longer investigating Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson for allegedly stirring up racial hatred over the message, posted last November and later deleted.

Pearson sparked an intense debate over free speech after she revealed officers had visited her house on a recent Sunday to invite her for a voluntary interview in relation to the post.

Senior politicians, lawyers and even X owner Elon Musk all weighed in over the last week, criticising the probe.

UK media, including the BBC, reported that it concerned an image Pearson retweeted of two police officers at a protest standing next to two men holding a flag purported to be in support of Gaza.

The post carried the words: “Look at this lot smiling with the Jew haters” but X added a notice stating that the flag was of a Pakistani political party and the protest was “not related to Palestine”.

Essex Police had previously said it was conducting a criminal investigation into “uttering words that were intended to cause racial hatred”.

But on Thursday the force said that it decided to take “no further action” after prosecutors advised that no charges should be brought.

It added that a senior officer from another police force had agreed to conduct an independent review into the force´s handling of the matter.

“We investigate crimes reported to us without fear or favour,” Essex Police said.

“We´re sometimes faced with allegations of crime where people have strong opposing views.

“That´s why we work so hard to remain impartial and to investigate allegations, regardless of where they might lead.”