Met Police Apologizes to Graham Linehan Over Arrest for Social Media Posts

The Metropolitan Police has apologized to Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan for shortcomings in the investigation that led to his arrest at Heathrow Airport in September 2025.

Linehan, the creator of Father Ted, was detained by five armed officers on suspicion of inciting violence after a transgender former police officer reported three of his social media posts as a hate crime. Prosecutors later dropped the case, and Linehan announced in October that he intended to sue the force for wrongful arrest.

After a five-month review, Met Police Inspector Matt Hume said the service provided was not acceptable and recognized the distress caused to Linehan. Hume added that the force remains committed to lawful and proportionate policing.

Hume's report found the arrest itself was lawful but concluded the investigation was flawed because officers focused on the transgender criticism in the posts rather than the alleged incitement to violence. None of the officers involved will face discipline, though Scotland Yard said it would change how it handles future high-profile hate-crime allegations.

The Free Speech Union, which backed Linehan's legal case, welcomed the apology and said it would work with police to ensure future complaints about social media posts respect freedom of expression.

Linehan posted on X that the statement did not sound like an apology. He and the Met did not immediately respond to requests for comment.