The Metropolitan Police has said it will take no further action against Green Party leader Zack Polanski over a picture he shared on social media.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage reported Mr Polanski to the police after he shared an image depicting a man wearing a black T-shirt with a picture of a guillotine and the words: “We’re only making plans for Nigel.”
But in a statement on Wednesday, the Met said it would not be pursuing the case, as “an extensive investigation was deemed to be disproportionate and an unreasonable use of police resources.”
A Reform UK spokesperson has criticised the police’s decision to take no further action against Mr Polanski, saying: “Once again we see that we are living in a two-tier Britain.”
The police have examined the evidence and concluded that no crime was committed.”
A Green Party spokesperson said: “The police have examined the evidence and concluded that no crime was committed.”
The spokesperson said “the outcome was obvious from the start” and claimed Reform UK was “always using the case as a political football for their own cynical purposes to distract from questions” about how Mr Farage’s party is funded.
The force said a crime should be recorded in relation to the wearing of the T-shirt, and as that happened in Bristol, the case has been transferred to Avon and Somerset Police to consider what further action should follow.
A statement from the Met said: “Officers have reviewed the reports, giving careful consideration to whether further action should follow. That review reached the following conclusions:
“It is unlikely that the sharing of the image online would constitute a criminal offence. Officers have considered telecommunications, public order and other offences, including incitement, in reaching this conclusion.
“The image in question was the 18th in a post containing 20 images. The person named on the reports received has stated publicly, either directly or in statements issued on his behalf, that he had not seen the specific image in question when he accepted the invitation to collaborate.
“Steps were taken to remove the post from his account when the issue was raised.
Since then, around 130 accounts have shared the post (whether by collaboration, reposting or sharing). The image has additionally been shared on many more occasions on other social media platforms.
We must not treat individuals differently solely because of their public profile; therefore, any investigation would need to consider not just the actions of the individual named in the reports but also those of all 130+ people and organisations.
Given that it is unlikely their actions would have ultimately constituted an offence, such an extensive investigation was deemed to be a disproportionate and unreasonable use of police resources.
“Accordingly, no further action will be taken in relation to the sharing of the image online.”
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