Kent Police force has opened a review into a retired special constable who was handcuffed over a social media post warning about the threat of antisemitism in Britain.
Julian Foulkes, 71, who served in the police force for a decade, was arrested by six police officers and detained for eight hours on November 2, 2023.
The former officer replied to a pro-Palestinian activist on X, prompting police to issue the pensioner with a formal caution.
In response to a pro-Palestinian activist on X, Foulkes wrote: “One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…”
Julian Foulkes, 71, who served in the police force for a decade, was arrested by six police officers and detained for eight hours on November 2, 2023
Kent Police/ The Telegraph
Last week, Kent Police confirmed that the formal warning was “not appropriate in the circumstances and should not have been issued”.
In addition, Chief Constable Tim Smith rang Foulkes to apologise on behalf of the force for the distress caused and the "mistake" in how the matter was investigated.
Smith has also ordered an internal review, according to The Telegraph.
The review will be led by the force’s professional standards department, responsible for receiving, recording and investigating public complaints and misconduct allegations.
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Kent Police later admitted the caution was a mistake and deleted it from Foulkes's recordPAOfficers could be dismissed from their jobs if sufficient evidence of misconduct is found.
After receiving the personal apology, Foulkes said: "I was appreciative of his apology."
Foulkes said the ordeal had left him with "post-traumatic stress-type symptoms" and had damaged his memories of volunteering for the force.
He said: "It's like PTSD. You push it to the back of your mind, but it comes back and you relive it."
Chief Constable Tim Smith rang Foulkes to apologise on behalf of the force for the distress caused and for how the matter was investigated
Kent Police
Although he had committed no offence, the 71-year-old accepted the initial caution, as he feared it could affect his ability to visit his daughter in Australia.
The post had just 26 views and had not been reported by the public.
The six officers, who were armed with batons and pepper spray, arrived at Foulkes’s home to arrest, book, fingerprint, photograph and swab for DNA.
Police body-worn camera footage captured officers scrutinising the pensioner's collection of books, pointing to what they described as “very Brexity things”.
Responding to the incident, a Home Office spokesman said: "This incident occurred under the previous Government. The Home Secretary has made clear that she believes all police forces should be focused on the central priorities of the Government's Safer Streets Mission."
