Police officers were branded “bullies” after turning up at a Briton’s door at 2am for an interrogation over a gender-critical blog post.
Officers from Avon and Somerset Police rang Stuart Campbell at 1.30am from a Keynsham Police Centre before calling on his home, where they “hammered at the door”.
Police had received a complaint from a pro-trans activist Lynsay Watson, formerly known as Alex Horwood, who built up a reputation for “trolling” Graham Linehan, the comedian and co-creator of Father Ted, over a blog post by Mr Campbell.
The Scottish independence campaigner said he had been hit with allegations of publishing “false and demeaning” articles about the trans woman, who complained that he had “misgendered” her on a number of occasions.
He was questioned at a police station voluntarily on August 3 after he reached out to the Free Speech Union for advice, who passed him the details of a solicitor.
Daniel Burke, the lawyer, said the allegations were not sufficient to “meet any criminal threshold, since misgendering is not an offence, and civil defamation, not a police complaint, is the proper remedy for disputed published claims”.
“It’s hard to find words for the insanity,” Mr Campbell told The Times.
He fumed: “It defies belief. After everything that’s happened in recent years with trans activists in particular, why are police still so willing to be used as private bully squads whenever they snap their fingers?
‘It’s hard to find words for the insanity,’ Stuart Campbell said
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“The police really need to get a grip.”
The status of the investigation remains unknown. As a result, Mr Campbell’s lawyer got in touch with the force for an update.
But, whether or not the force will proceed with the allegations, Mr Campbell will file a “formal complaint on numerous grounds” either way, The Times revealed.
He claimed the material put before him included two posts on X “joking that Watson was living in a caravan or campervan” – while a third and final post was put to him which Mr Campbell did not even write.
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The trans woman became known after building up a reputation for ‘trolling’ Graham Linehan
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PA“Misgendering a trans activist and writing satirical articles about them are not criminal offences,” a spokesman for the Free Speech Union wrote.
“Gender critical beliefs are protected under the Equality Act 2010, a position reaffirmed last year by the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling that sex under the act is defined by biology rather than gender identity.”
Lynsay Watson has built up a reputation for hounding high-profile figures, including Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe, author JK Rowling and actor James Dreyfrus, all of whom have received abuse from the trans woman.
The individual previously served for a number of police services.
The disgraced officer was eventually dismissed by Leicestershire Police for gross misconduct after firing off abusive posts to a former colleague.
Last year, Ms Watson complained: “The same individuals who use social media to attack, misgender, and dehumanise trans people suddenly claim to be harassed when victims lawfully report their conduct to police, employers, or regulators.
“Reporting hate incidents is not harassment, it is the only lawful channel open to victims.
“Suggesting otherwise silences victims and chills the reporting of hate crimes, which is precisely the goal of much of this organised hostility.”
GB News has approached Avon and Somerset Police for comment.