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 on Monday 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 on Monday 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.
“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.”
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, Sir 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”.
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 October 11 and October 27 last year, and a further charge of criminal damage of their mobile phone on October 19 last year.
The trial was adjourned and will resume on October 29, with Linehan released on bail.
