Essex Police Drop Investigation Into Journalist Allison Pearson

The decision follows Crown Prosecution Service advice, with an independent review launched into the handling of the case.

Essex Police have closed their investigation into Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson over allegations of inciting racial hatred via a social media post.
The Crown Prosecution Service advised that no charges should be brought, citing insufficient evidence to meet legal thresholds.
The investigation stemmed from a year-old tweet that misidentified a flag and criticized police, which Pearson later deleted, denying any intent to provoke racial hatred.
The case prompted widespread criticism from political figures, journalists, and free speech advocates, who called for reforms to guidelines on non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs).
An independent review of Essex Police's handling of the case will be conducted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council hate crime lead, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough.