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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates Daft.ie Property Allianz Home The 42 Sport TG4 Entertainment The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories Graham Linehan arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court for his trial in September.Sipa US/Alamy Live News Met to stop investigating ‘non-crime hate incidents’ after probe into Graham Linehan posts dropped The 57-year-old Irish comedy writer was arrested at Heathrow Airport in September on suspicion of inciting violence over social media posts. 1.34pm, 21 Oct 2025 Share options THE METROPOLITAN POLICE has announced that it will stop investigating “non-crime hate incidents” after it emerged that Father Ted creator Graham Linehan will face no further action over social media posts about transgender issues. The 57-year-old Irish comedy writer was arrested at Heathrow Airport after flying in from Arizona in September by the Met Police on suspicion of inciting violence over three posts he had made on X. The arrest sparked controversy, with Conservative politicians and Harry Potter author JK Rowling among those who criticised the arrest. The head of the Met Police said at the time that officers are in “an impossible position” when dealing with statements made online. Following Linehan’s announcement yesterday that the probe into his posts has been dropped, a spokesperson for the police force said: “We understand the concern around this case. “The commissioner has been clear he doesn’t believe officers should be policing toxic culture war debates, with current laws and rules on inciting violence online leaving them in an impossible position. “As a result, the Met will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents. We believe this will provide clearer direction for officers, reduce ambiguity and enable them to focus on matters that meet the threshold for criminal investigations.” Non-crime hate incidents are incidents that do not count as crimes but are perceived to be motivated by hatred towards certain characteristics such as race or gender. The Met spokesperson continued: “These incidents will still be recorded and used as valuable pieces of intelligence to establish potential patterns of behaviour or criminality. “We will continue to investigate and arrest those who commit hate crimes – allowing us to comply with statutory guidance while focusing our resources on criminality and public protection.” Linehan announced on social media yesterday afternoon that police had told his lawyers that he faces no further action over the Heathrow arrest. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviewed the evidence and concluded there was no realistic prospect of conviction, it is understood. A CPS spokesperson said: “Following careful review of a file submitted by the Metropolitan Police, we have decided that no further action should be taken in relation to a man in his 50s who was arrested on September 1 2025.” The Free Speech Union (FSU) said it has instructed lawyers to sue the Met Police for wrongful arrest. Linehan posted on X: “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.” While the FSU said: “Police forces cannot continue to suppress lawful free speech without facing consequences. “We’ve instructed a top flight team of lawyers to sue the Met for wrongful arrest, among other things. Advertisement “Graham deserves an apology but, more importantly, the police need to be taught a lesson that they cannot allow themselves to be continually manipulated by woke activists.” Lord Young of Acton, who is general secretary of the FSU, called the Met’s announcement a “tremendous victory”. “To finally see the country’s biggest police force announce that they’re no longer going to be investigating non-crime hate incidents is fantastic, but it’s El-Alamein, it’s not D-Day,” he told GB News. “We now have to persuade every other police force in the country to follow the Met’s example.” Shadow home secretary Chris Philp described the move as a “return to common sense”. “Met police say they will no longer investigate non crime hate incidents,” he said. “They can catch car and phone thieves instead. “A welcome return to common sense. No thanks to Labour who voted against this in Parliament earlier this year.” The Met came under fire after Linehan’s arrest, with Rowling claiming it was “totalitarianism” and “deplorable”. Conservative politicians also levelled criticism last month, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch saying the arrest showed “values of free speech are being slowly eroded by people weaponising the law and using it for petty squabbling”. Meanwhile, James Cleverly said the arrest looked like a “real overreaction” to what was “self-evidently a joke” and shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick described the incident as “a complete waste of police time”. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the time that police should focus on “the most serious issues”, like knife crime and violence, and that he would “always defend” the right to free speech. But Green Party leader Zack Polanski told BBC Newsnight the posts were “totally unacceptable” and the arrest seemed “proportionate”. One of the posts that Linehan was arrested over said: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.” Another was a photograph of a trans-rights protest, with the comment “a photo you can smell”, and a follow-up post saying: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.” The arrest came days before he appeared in court accused of harassing a transgender woman. The writer, who now lives in the United States, has denied one count of harassing activist Sophia Brooks on social media between 11 October and 27 October last year, and a further charge of criminal damage of their mobile phone on 19 October last year. The trial was adjourned and will resume on 29 October, with Linehan released on bail. 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