UK police force ordered to reopen inquiry into handling of Graham Linehan arrest
The UK's Independent Office for Police Conduct has ordered the Metropolitan Police to reinvestigate the arrest of Graham Linehan. The watchdog found that the initial handling of Linehan's complaint regarding his arrest and potential discrimination was inadequate.
Why it matters
The case raises significant questions about police accountability and the handling of arrests related to controversial public speech.
British police have been ordered to reinvestigate a complaint over the arrest of Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan after a watchdog found failings in its handling of the case.
The 58-year-old Irish writer was arrested at Heathrow airport after flying in from Arizona in September 2025, on suspicion of inciting violence over three posts he made on X.
He subsequently received an apology from the Met Police and a settlement following a civil claim .
Britain’s Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed Linehan later sought a review of how the Met handled a complaint about the investigation into him and his treatment by officers.
The application, received in May 2026, included “an allegation that he was discriminated against due to his gender-critical beliefs”.
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