Scotland Yard’s much-maligned “Thought Police” say they are turning in their badges.

The Metropolitan Police in London has announced it will cease investigating “non-crime hate incidents” after dropping charges against Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, who was arrested over social media posts about transgender issues.

The 57-year-old writer was arrested at Heathrow Airport in September on suspicion of inciting violence following three posts on social media platform X concerning transgender topics. One 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 post showed a photograph of people at a trans-rights protest, which he captioned: “A photo you can smell.” A follow-up response read: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F— em.”

Mr. Linehan’s arrest generated outrage from politicians and notable figures, including Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the force now has a new stance on such arrests. “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,” the spokesman said, according to GBNews.

The policy change represents a significant shift in how the force handles controversial online content. “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,” the spokesman said.

Non-crime hate incidents are defined as incidents that don’t constitute crimes but are perceived to be motivated by hatred toward specific characteristics such as race or gender. Despite ending investigations, the Met Police confirmed these “will still be recorded and used as valuable pieces of intelligence to establish potential patterns of behaviour or criminality,” the spokesman said. 

“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,” the spokesman said.

Mr. Linehan announced on social media Monday that authorities “have informed my lawyers that I face no further action in respect of the arrest at Heathrow in September.”

“After a successful hearing to get my bail conditions lifted (one which the police officer in charge of the case didn’t even bother to attend) the Crown Prosecution Service has dropped the case. 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.”

The Crown Prosecution Service reviewed the evidence and concluded there was no realistic prospect of conviction. A CPS spokesman 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 1 September 2025,” the BBC reported.

Mr. Linehan described his arrest experience in detail on his blog, claiming he was “arrested at an airport like a terrorist.” He wrote: “The moment I stepped off the plane at Heathrow, five armed police officers were waiting. Not one, not two — five. They escorted me to a private area and told me I was under arrest for three tweets.”

The Free Speech Union, which supported Mr. Linehan throughout the case, announced plans to pursue legal action against the Metropolitan Police. “Throughout this probe, the police have behaved like activists, not impartial upholders of the law,” the organization wrote on X.

“We’re not stopping here. Police forces cannot continue to suppress lawful free speech without facing consequences,” the group wrote, adding, “the police need to be taught a lesson that they cannot allow themselves to be continually manipulated by woke activists.”