The Metropolitan Police has granted £25,000 in compensation to Graham Linehan, the creator of the TV show Father Ted. Linehan was arrested in September last year under suspicion of inciting violence following a complaint from an activist about his social media posts.

Upon his arrival at Heathrow Airport from Arizona, Linehan was interrogated about three posts he had shared on Twitter, where he expressed gender-critical views. During his detention, Linehan experienced health issues, including high blood pressure, which led to his hospitalization. He was eventually released but faced restrictive bail conditions that prevented him from posting on social media.

After challenging the arrest with the support of the Free Speech Union, Linehan took legal action against the Metropolitan Police, alleging a wrongful arrest and violation of his freedom of speech. Recently, the Met issued an unconditional apology to Linehan and agreed to compensate him with £25,000.

In a letter obtained by The Telegraph, a senior officer acknowledged deficiencies in the investigation, arrest process, and bail conditions and expressed regret for the distress caused to Linehan. Lord Young of Acton from The Free Speech Union commented on the situation, highlighting the trend of police making wrongful arrests in cases involving social media posts.

Following an investigation, Linehan was informed on October 20 that no further action would be taken against him. He now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he is working on rebuilding his career. Linehan shared his gratitude for the kindness shown by comedy actor Rob Schneider, who has involved him in various projects. Linehan also mentioned his three-year visa in the U.S., expressing hopes for a permanent residency.

The Metropolitan Police spokesperson, when approached by the Mirror, acknowledged the distress caused to Linehan and issued an apology. They noted that as a result of this case, the Met has ceased investigating non-crime hate incidents to provide clearer guidelines for officers and prioritize criminal investigations.