logo
Kent PCC demands answers from force over X post case

Kent PCC demands answers from force over X post case

BBC News13-05-2025
The "ordeal" of a retired special constable who was arrested and handcuffed after a post on X was "unacceptable", according to Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner.Kent PCC Matthew Scott said he was "taking the matter extremely seriously" and had asked Kent Police chief constable Tim Smith for an explanation, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.Julian Foulkes, from Gillingham, was handcuffed by six officers and had his electronic devices seized two days after he was alleged to have accused a pro-Palestine social media post of being antisemitic in October 2023.Kent Police told the BBC it had apologised to Mr Foulkes, removed a caution from his record and would hold a review.
Mr Scott said in a statement: "The ordeal that Julian Foulkes has been through during the last 18 months is unacceptable. "I am pleased that Kent Police has apologised to him and removed the caution from his record."He thanked Mr Foulkes for his service in policing and said he was "truly sorry" for his experience.He added: "I am taking this matter very seriously and I am raising these concerns with Kent Police and the chief constable."
The Telegraph reported how Mr Foulkes, 71, was arrested for challenging a pro-Palestine supporter on the social media platform.It said that on 30 October, 2023, an individual had tweeted threatening to sue former home secretary Suella Braverman, who had called pro-Palestine protests "hate marches", if she called them an antisemite.The paper said Mr Foulkes had responded: "One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…"
Mr Foulkes said he was taking legal action against Kent Police over his alleged treatment.Speaking on the doorstep of home in Gillingham, Mr Foulkes, who spent a decade as a special constable, said: "It's all very disappointing. "It has got to end and that's why someone has to take stand."Mr Foulkes' legal action is being backed by the Free Speech Union which has raised £35,000 of a £50,000 through an appeal.
Kent Police said it had examined the caution and on review of the circumstances, expunged it.A spokesman added: "The chief constable telephoned Mr Foulkes on Sunday to personally apologise on behalf of the force for the distress caused and the way the matter was investigated. "He has ordered that a review take place, which will be led by the force's Professional Standards department."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Actor Noel Clarke set to learn outcome of libel claim
Actor Noel Clarke set to learn outcome of libel claim

The Independent

time4 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Actor Noel Clarke set to learn outcome of libel claim

Actor Noel Clarke is set to discover whether he has been successful in his High Court libel claim against the publisher of the Guardian on Friday. Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct. Clarke denies the allegations, while GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest. A trial earlier this year heard from multiple witnesses who made accusations against Clarke, including that he had allegedly shared nude photographs of them without their consent, groped them, and asked them to look at him when he was exposed. Barristers for Clarke told the court that there is a conspiracy of people with financial and personal grudges against him who engineered his downfall because they could not bear to see him receive a Bafta award. Mrs Justice Steyn is set to hand down her ruling at 10.30am on Friday. The trial of the libel claim was held from early March to early April at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Clarke, who has previously appeared in TV shows including Doctor Who, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Bulletproof, gave evidence over several days. At one stage, he appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had 'smashed my life'. He said: 'They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.' He continued: 'I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.' He later said that while he was 'a flawed guy', he added: 'The reason I stand here four years later is I am not what they have branded me.' Philip Williams, representing the actor, said that his client was a 'casualty' of a media 'purge' following the emergence of the MeToo movement. He continued that Clarke was made a 'scapegoat' and was an 'easy target' because he was at the height of his success when the media industry 'zealously sought to correct itself'. The barrister also criticised the Guardian's investigation, saying the newspaper 'manifestly failed to do its job properly'.Mr Williams asked the court to find the claim successful, saying the Guardian's reporting has caused serious harm to Clarke's career, with 'continuing hostile reactions online and in public discourse'. Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said there is 'not a shred of evidence' to support Clarke's claim of a conspiracy, describing it as 'nonsensical and rather desperate speculation'. He said Clarke has a 'very clear motive to lie' because he 'stands to lose a great deal'. In written submissions, Mr Millar said Clarke 'used his power to prey on and harass female colleagues' over a period of 15 years. He said: 'This was a careful and thorough investigation conducted conscientiously by Guardian journalists who were aware of the potential pitfalls. 'They received information from a wide range of sources with direct evidence of misconduct and in each case carefully considered and tested the information they were given, electing to publish only such information as they believed was credible.'

Man, 26, charged with murder after ice cream seller stabbed to death
Man, 26, charged with murder after ice cream seller stabbed to death

The Independent

time4 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Man, 26, charged with murder after ice cream seller stabbed to death

A man has been charged with murder after an ice cream seller was stabbed to death in north-west London. Shazad Khan, 41, was pronounced dead at the scene after officers responded to reports of an altercation in Monks Park in Wembley at 6.10pm on Tuesday. Zaher Zaarour, 26, of Brent in north-west London, has been charged with murder and possession of a bladed article, the Metropolitan Police announced on Thursday. He is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Friday. A 31-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of conspiracy to murder – but has been bailed pending further inquiries, the force said. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller said: 'I would like to thank the community for their help and support during this investigation. 'Residents can expect to see an increase of officers in the local area over the next coming days as the investigation continues.' Local residents said that Mr Khan was well known in the area for selling ice creams in a van. Asim Mahmood Butt, 39, who lives in nearby Tokyngton Avenue, said he was childhood friends with the victim. Speaking at the scene on Wednesday, he said: 'I got a call from one of my cousins. 'This guy, we know him – he's a famous ice cream guy. He got stabbed yesterday. 'I came here and his body was still here, and police had cordoned off the area. 'I know his brothers as well – they're all local. We all used to play cricket and football here in Monks Park. 'He started (selling) ice cream about a year ago.' Mr Butt said Mr Khan was married and had a young daughter. The ice cream van, which had been parked on the road at the time of the incident, was well known locally for having a large teddy bear, the witness added.

DWP launches independent review into Post Office staff prosecutions
DWP launches independent review into Post Office staff prosecutions

The Independent

time4 minutes ago

  • The Independent

DWP launches independent review into Post Office staff prosecutions

The Department for Work and Pensions is launching an independent review into its handling of prosecutions against Post Office staff. There were around 100 prosecutions by the DWP between 2001 and 2006, during the Horizon IT scandal. The decision to review the work on the cases comes after it was revealed the Post Office investigation team shared information with the DWP. The investigation will look at the period of time covered by the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act 2024, from 1996 to 2018. This was the legislation that effectively gave a blanket exoneration to Post Office staff convicted in that time, but it did not include DWP-related convictions. It was uncovered that the DWP and Post Office had conducted joint investigations during the scandal by Sky News last May. Responding to the findings at the time, lawyer and then-chair of the Justice Select Committee, Sir Robert Neill KC said the DWP convictions need to be 'looked at'. "I think that's the area they need to look at if we are saying their approach was tainted from the beginning - in the way the investigators adopted things - then joint operations I suspect would be just as tainted arguably as something where it has been the Post Office on its own." A DWP spokesperson said: 'We have committed to commissioning an independent assurance review where Post Office members of staff were prosecuted by the Department for welfare-related fraud. 'These cases involved complex investigations and were backed by evidence including filmed surveillance, stolen benefit books and witness statements – to date, no documentation has been identified showing that Horizon data was essential to these prosecutions.' Lawyer Neil Hudgell, who represented several victims of the Post Office scandal, said the review was 'wholly inadequate', adding that the DWP "should not be marking its own homework.' "Any involvement in the process of appointing reviewers undermines all confidence in the independence of the process," he said. The Horizon IT scandal saw approximately 1,000 individuals wrongfully prosecuted and convicted. Around £1 billion has been paid to victims so far according to the Department for Business and Trade, after a legal act which came into effect on 25 January 2024 authorised automatic compensation. The inquiry into the scandal is still ongoing, having published the first volume of its final report in July.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store