Overview
- Norfolk Police discontinued the prosecution of James Jobson on Friday after further enquiries produced evidence that the force said no longer met the legal test for charge.
- Jobson had been charged with misconduct in public office and remanded after prosecutors said he was the 'common link' to a Facebook account called The HMO Inspector that posted videos of asylum‑seeker homes.
- The anonymous HMO Inspector account continued posting while Jobson was in custody and published messages denying any connection to him, a detail that local reporting highlighted and prompted a police review.
- Jobson remained in detention after charges were dropped because of ongoing paperwork and was released only after intervention by justice officials, with the Ministry of Justice confirming his freedom.
- Detectives are continuing inquiries to trace how addresses were shared online, 22 arrests were made over the disorder, and political and community figures have demanded explanations of the investigation and charging decisions.