Overview

• Staffordshire Police arrested Moss on 8 July on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications after he criticised fire service management in a private Facebook group and conducted a dawn raid seizing his phones, iPad and computer.
• He was released on bail with six restrictions barring him from speaking about the fire service, its leadership or the police investigation.
• Newcastle-under-Lyme magistrates led by Paul Tabinor have now revoked the 'gag' clauses, allowing Moss to post about both the fire service and the ongoing inquiry.
• Staffordshire Police have defended the initial restrictions as proportionate and said their inquiries remain ongoing.
• The Free Speech Union argued that the original bail conditions unlawfully limited expression during a broader trend of increasing arrests for offensive online posts.