Essex Police cleared in Allison Pearson case

Essex Police “acted fairly” throughout a hate crime investigation right into a social media put up by the Each day Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson, a report states.

The Nationwide Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) seemed into the pressure’s actions after Pearson claimed she felt “bullied and threatened” when officers visited the columnist’s residence in Essex on Remembrance Sunday in November 2024.

The Essex pressure has beforehand defended its since-dropped investigation over an allegation {that a} social media put up, in regards to the Hamas-Israel battle, incited racial hatred.

In his findings, Mark Hobrough, the NPCC’s hate crime lead and chief constable of Gwent, mentioned footage from a body-worn digital camera confirmed the investigating officer’s strategy to Pearson was “well mannered and carried out in an exemplary method”.

The unique investigation was sparked by a grievance by member of the general public {that a} social media put up within the early weeks of the Center East battle contained important remarks in regards to the police.

“The posted picture was more likely to mislead the reader into considering this was from a pro-Palestine rally, whether or not meant to take action, or unintentionally so,” the report mentioned.

The report redacts particulars of the now-deleted put up, from 16 November 2023, which the BBC has seen.

It reveals a picture of two cops standing subsequent to 2 males holding what seems to be a flag of the Pakistani political social gathering Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Pearson’s put up tags the Metropolitan Police alongside the phrases “how dare they?”.

It added: “Invited to pose for a photograph with beautiful peaceable British Associates of Israel on Saturday police refused. Take a look at this lot smiling with the Jew haters.”

X added a discover to the put up stating that the picture was taken in Manchester, not London, and that it’s “not associated to Palestine”.

The report, which redacts Pearson’s identify, states an officer went to her residence and on his recording of the dialogue “clearly states he’s there to attempt to prepare a voluntary attendance interview, to help the investigation right into a grievance of inciting racial hatred”.

Pearson “started to problem the officer’s actions”, the report provides.

“She implied {that a} grievance can be made to the Chief Constable by the Telegraph newspaper.”

The timing of the go to, early on a Sunday morning, might be judged thoughtless, however the officer had already made a earlier, unanswered go to and was “diligently making an attempt to conduct his workload”, the report added.

“Our view is that the officer’s behaviour throughout this interplay was exemplary,” the report provides.

“He didn’t turn into defensive or difficult and remained calm and well mannered all through the interplay.”

Talking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme quickly after the case was discontinued, Pearson mentioned she didn’t suppose her tweet was fallacious, and added: “I will not censor myself however I can be extra watchful sooner or later.”

The police go to to her residence was not “commonplace follow” and was “completely unacceptable”, she claimed.

She added: “Kemi Badenoch, the Tory chief and plenty of different folks within the regulation, in politics, in regular walks of life, have mentioned that’s completely outrageous.”