The Essex Police has defended itself after a columnist for the Daily Telegraph said she was left “dumbstruck” by a visit to her home over a social media post.
Police visited Allison Pearson’s home amid an investigation into alleged incitement to racial hatred, the force said.
Writing after the police visit, Pearson said police told her she was being investigated for an alleged “non-crime hate incident” (NCHI) on social media.
However, the force said “at no stage” did it tell Pearson the investigation was for an NCHI.
In a statement, Essex Police said: “Officers went to a residential address to arrange a time to do an interview with a woman about a complaint made by a member of the public.
“At no stage during the short interaction between the woman and our officers was she informed that the report being investigated was being treated as a non-crime hate incident. To suggest otherwise is wholly inaccurate and misleading.
“As the public would expect, we have body worn video of this interaction which entirely supports our position in this respect.”
Essex Police have since released what it says are transcribed lines from a conversation they reportedly had with Pearson.
“Because of what’s been alleged and the evidence that we’ve got, I need to just ask you some questions,” an officer said in the transcript.
Ms Pearson said she was told the investigation was about a post on social media platform Twitter.
She said the officers were unable to give her details of the post in question or identify her accuser, which they said was due to laws governing procedure.
“This was the most extraordinary overreach and state intrusion into my private life and I don’t think I did anything wrong and I think their response was outrageous,” Ms Pearson said.
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