Man arrested in north London for 'inciting racial hatred on social media'
Arrest comes amid surge in racist attacks following Brexit vote
Police investigating extreme right-wing, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic postings on social media have arrested a man in north London.
The 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and is being held at a north London police station.
The man was arrested at 6.30am on Wednesday morning, as part of a co-ordinated effort by officers from the Crime Disruption Unit within Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command.
A Met Police spokesman said: “Detectives executed search warrants at two addresses, both in north London, as part of this investigation, which relates to social media postings of an extreme right wing, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic nature.
“Searches at one of the addresses are ongoing. A number of digital items have been seized at one of the properties.”
The man’s arrest follows a surge in racist attacks following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.
In addition to a growing body of anecdotal evidence, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said reports of hate crime increased 57 per cent on Thursday-Sunday last week, compared with the same period four weeks earlier, the FT reports.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.