Graham Linehan will face no further action after being arrested over social media posts about transgender people.
The Father Ted and IT Crowd creator said his lawyers had been told the case wouldn’t proceed. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the move.
Linehan was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence when he landed at Heathrow from his home in the US on 1 September.
The incident drew criticism of the police and government from some politicians and supporters.
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said his officers were in an “impossible position” and should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates”.
Posting on X, Linehan, 57, said: “After a successful hearing to get my bail conditions lifted (one which the police officer in charge of the case didn’t even bother to attend) the Crown Prosecution Service has dropped the case.
“With the aid of the Free Speech Union, I still aim to hold the police accountable for what is only the latest attempt to silence and suppress gender critical voices on behalf of dangerous and disturbed men.”
Graham Linehan says satire is ‘dying’ and that he wouldn’t be able to make Father Ted today
Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan’s trial begins after allegation he harassed transgender activist
Graham Linehan and cancel culture: Is comedy becoming bland?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said it had carefully reviewed the police file and decided “no further action should be taken”.
In one of the posts, Linehan wrote: “If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls.”
He said that on the day of his arrest he was taken to A&E after a nurse found his blood pressure had reached “stroke territory” during police questioning.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the latest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
