Police accused of "appalling attack on free speech" after investigation is launched into journalist

Essex Police are investigating journalist Allison Pearson over a social media post made more than a year ago.

Officers visited her home on Remembrance Sunday to notify her of the probe into alleged hate crime incitement.

Pearson said officers were unable to explain the nature of the allegedly offending post or provide the identity of the complainant.

She called the process "Kafkaesque," saying, “How can I defend myself if I don’t even know what I am accused of?”

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith criticised the case as an overreach, urging police to focus on “real criminals, not journalists.”

Free Speech Union director Toby Young also called it an “appalling attack on free speech.”

It has since been revealed that the investigation relates to Pearson’s tweet referencing NHS waiting times and migration.

Essex Police stated the inquiry adheres to hate crime protocols, aiming to balance public safety and free speech. Pearson argued police should prioritise protecting the public over targeting journalists.