Metropolitan Police ordered to reopen Graham Linehan arrest probe

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has ordered the Metropolitan Police to reopen its investigation into the handling of comedian Graham Linehan’s arrest. The order follows a complaint by Linehan regarding his September 2025 arrest at Heathrow Airport over social media posts critical of transgender rights.

While the Metropolitan Police previously conducted an internal review that admitted his detention was “unacceptable” and issued an unreserved apology, the IOPC concluded that the force’s own investigation “did not go far enough.” The watchdog described the Met’s previous findings as “not reasonable and proportionate.”

Linehan’s arrest, which occurred after social media posts were reported as potential hate crimes, reportedly caused him significant physical distress, including a panic attack and a spike in blood pressure that required hospitalization. Although the Met previously reached a settlement involving a £25,000 payment and acknowledged shortcomings in the investigation and bail conditions, the IOPC’s intervention mandates a more thorough probe into the police conduct.