The Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson is under investigation by Essex police for allegedly stirring up racial hatred with a social media post made last November. Pearson has said officers told her they were planning to record a non-crime hate incident (NCHI) against her, an incident that does not meet the threshold for a crime. Essex police say the alleged offence was being treated as a criminal matter, not an NCHI. The incident has led to fierce debate as critics claim it represents a threat to free speech and is a waste of police resources. Essex police have complained to the media standards watchdog Ipso over alleged false reporting about its ongoing investigation.
