Labour Anti-Semitism: Three Arrests After LBC Handed Dossier To Met Commissioner

28 March 2019, 09:58 | Updated: 28 March 2019, 10:08

Police looking into allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour party have made three arrests following an investigation by LBC.

During Call The Commissioner on 4th September on LBC, Nick handed Met Police chief Cressida Dick a file featuring a series of posts from social media that he believed was evidence of anti-Semitic hate crimes.

Specialist officers looked into the evidence and have now arrested three people - two men in their 50s and a woman in her 70s.

The Met Police told LBC: "A criminal investigation has commenced into some of the allegations within the documentation. Advice regarding these allegations was received from the Crown Prosecution Service and has been considered.

"A man in his 50s [A] was arrested on 7 March on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 19 Public Order Act 1986 - publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred - after a warrant was executed at an address in Birmingham. He was interviewed under caution at a custody suite in Birmingham. He has been released under investigation.

"A second man in his 50s [B] was arrested on 14 March on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 19 Public Order Act 1986 - publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred - after a warrant was executed at an address in Tunbridge Wells. He was interviewed under caution at a police station in Kent. He has been released under investigation.

"A woman in her 70s [C] was arrested on 21 March on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 19 Public Order Act 1986 - publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred - after a warrant was executed at an address in Wandsworth. She was interviewed under caution at a south London police station. She has been released under investigation.

"The MPS will not comment further on the details of the investigation."

Labour's John McDonnell insisted Labour are acting over anti-Semitism within the party - and had this row with a caller on LBC, who insisted the claims were just smears.

A Labour spokesman told LBC: “We welcome the police investigating these individuals’ alleged crimes.

"Antisemitism has no place in our society and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms."

LBC understands that the three individuals are no longer members of the Labour Party after disciplinary action was taken against them.

They were still members Labour members - or suspended - when the Met’s Cressida Dick was handed the file by LBC back in September.