Essex Police has dropped its investigation into journalist Allison Pearson over an alleged hate-related social media post from last year.
Pearson had been under investigation for allegedly stirring up racial hatred through a post made on X.
The decision to end the inquiry comes amid mounting criticism of the police investigation.
Officers visited Pearson’s home as part of their investigation but declined to provide specific details about the social media post in question.
Officers showed up at Pearson’s home on Remembrance Sunday to invite her for a voluntary interviewGETTY
During the visit, police would not disclose which post on X was under investigation or reveal who had made the complaint against her.
A dispute emerged over the nature of the investigation, with Pearson initially believing it was being treated as a non-crime hate incident.
Essex Police strongly rejected this characterisation, stating it was “wholly inaccurate”.
The force insisted that its response was what “the public would expect” and claimed their body-worn video footage “entirely supports our position”.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the inquiry, describing it as an “appalling” attack on free speech.
The case has now been closed with no further action being taken against Pearson.
Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime lead, will conduct an independent review of the force’s handling of the case.
More to follow…