The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they will not pursue action against Gary Lineker over his controversial social media post containing an anti-Semitic rat emoji.
After assessing reports from distressed members of the public, Scotland Yard concluded no crime was committed.
"We received a number of reports from members of the public relating to a post published on social media on Monday, 12 May," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement to Telegraph Sport.
"The reports have been assessed. No offences were identified and there will be no further police involvement."
Gary Lineker will not face any police action after his controversial social media post
PA
Officers had visited several complainants who expressed distress over the Instagram post that ultimately led to Lineker's BBC exit.
The Instagram post in question featured a rat emoji, which has historically been used as an anti-Semitic slur dating back to Nazi propaganda against Jewish people.
Lineker deleted the post shortly after publishing it and maintained he was unaware of the cartoon's offensive symbolism.
Police were specifically called in about the rat emoji approximately ten days ago.
It had appeared unlikely from the outset that any law had been broken by the former England captain.
Officers may have been considering whether the post amounted to a non-crime hate incident (NCHI), where records are kept for speech perceived to demonstrate hostility.
Lineker's departure from the BBC was confirmed last week after 26 years as the face of Match of the Day.
His final appearance on the programme was broadcast on Sunday, during which he became visibly emotional at tributes from celebrities and family members.
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Gary Lineker's 28 year tenure at the BBC is over Reuters The decision to part ways with Lineker came after mounting pressure within the corporation regarding his outspoken political views.
Sources close to the BBC suggest that corporation chiefs had simply run out of patience with the presenter's political commentary.
The controversy that ultimately led to his exit centred on a pro-Palestine video he shared on Instagram Story, which contained the contentious emoji.
The former England captain has reportedly lost out on an estimated £800,000 after leaving the BBC without a pay-off.
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Gary Lineker had posted a video including a rat emoji, an anti-Semitic trope
This significant financial hit hasn't appeared to dampen Lineker's spirits or his willingness to express political views.
On Monday, his first day of post-BBC freedom, Lineker shared a poem supporting Palestine.
Lineker's departure ends his tenure as one of the BBC's highest-paid presenters, having been a mainstay of British sports broadcasting for over two decades.
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