Graham Linehan gets £25,000 compensation and an apology from Met police after arrest

Father Ted co-creator detained by armed officers at Heathrow airport last year over gender-critical posts on X The Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has been paid £25,000 in compensation by the Metropolitan police and received an apology after his arrest over his gender-critical social media posts. Linehan, 57, was detained by armed officers at Heathrow airport last September after a 10-hour flight from Arizona. He was told he was being arrested on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to three posts on X and was held at a nearby police station for 12 hours. A Met spokesperson said on Thursday: “We recognise the considerable distress caused to Mr Linehan, and have offered our sincere apologies. “This case prompted a significant change, which means the Met no longer investigates 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.” In a letter to Linehan, the force accepted there had been “shortcomings in the investigation, the arrest and the imposition of bail conditions”, the Times reported. A settlement was reached after

Jul 9, 2026 → Jul 19, 2026