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Police have issued an apology to a former constable who was arrested after he challenged a supporter of pro-Palestinian marches on social media.
Julian Foulkes, a 71-year-old retired special constable from Gillingham, said six officers from the force arrived at his home after the post on social media platform X.
He told the Sunday Telegraph that he was handcuffed while his house was searched and electronic devices were seized in November 2023, after he’d responded on social media to a post criticising then-home secretary Suella Braverman’s approach to pro-Palestinian marches.
The post said: “Dear @SuellaBraverman — as someone who was on one of the ‘hate marches’, if you call me an antisemite I will sue you.”
Mr Foulkes had responded: “One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…”
He claims this tweet was misinterpreted as “anti-Jewish” when it was in fact the opposite.
Officers raised concerns over the contents of Foulkes’ bookcase, which they said included “very Brexity things”, including books from authors such as conservative critic Douglas Murray and issues of The Spectator. They also commented on a shopping list for bleach, tin foil and gloves - drawn up by his wife, a hairdresser.
Mr Foulkes was detained in a police cell for eight hours and questioned in relation to a potential charge of malicious communications. He said he ended up accepting an unconditional caution because he feared the investigation could affect his visits to his daughter in Australia.
Kent Police have now issued an apology to the 71-year-old and expunged his record.
“On 2 November 2023 a report was made to Kent Police about a social media post that was alleged to have been offensive, and Mr Foulkes was arrested on the same day”, the force said. “Although he was offered and accepted an unconditional caution following his own independent legal advice, a subsequent review of the case by the force concluded that the caution was not appropriate in the circumstances and should not have been issued.”
The statement continued: “Kent Police apologises to Mr Foulkes for the distress caused and how the report was investigated. We have expunged the caution from his record and are pleased to facilitate this correction.
“Mr Foulkes has been informed of the decision and a further review of the matter will now be carried out to identify any learning opportunities.”
Mr Foulkes said he believes “Free speech is clearly under attack”, according to The Telegraph. “Nobody is really safe … the public needs to see what’s happening, and be shocked.”
He has accepted an offer from the Free Speech Union (FSU), founded by Toby Young, to fund a legal challenge against Kent Police for wrongful arrest and detention.
“The FSU and Lord [Toby] Young have generously agreed to fully fund a lawsuit against Kent Police,” he said. “I’m extremely grateful for such excellent support and would urge anyone concerned about the sustained attack on free speech to please join the FSU. They’re fighting hard every day for all of us.”
Additional reporting by PA
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