Overview

• A recorded visit shows an officer telling Deborah Anderson to apologise for a Facebook comment or face a formal interview after a complaint about “threatening” language.
• Thames Valley Police said they engaged with both parties and confirmed no arrests were made and no further action would follow.
• During the visit the officer did not identify the post in question, and a later police statement said the complainant reported being called a “terrorist” and referenced a remark about being “lined up and shot” if the writer were prime minister.
• The Free Speech Union intervened and condemned the approach as chilling, and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioned why officers were asking people to apologise.
• The footage has drawn millions of views and fed a wider UK dispute over policing online speech, with recent cases such as Graham Linehan’s arrest prompting police leaders to seek clearer legal thresholds.