Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has been arrested at Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to his posts on X.
He was arrested after arriving on a flight from the US, and said in an online Substack article that officials then became concerned for his health after taking his blood pressure, and took him to hospital.
The Metropolitan Police said that a man in his 50s was arrested on 1 September at Heathrow Airport and taken to hospital, adding his condition “is neither life-threatening nor life-changing” , and he was bailed “pending further investigation”.
Linehan said in an online article on Substack that his bail condition stipulates he is “not to go on Twitter” and that his arrest related to three posts on X from April, on his views about challenging “a trans-identified male” in “a female-only space”.
The Irish comedy writer, who also created The IT Crowd and Black Books, said when he stepped off the aircraft, “five armed officers were waiting” to tell him he was under arrest.
The Met said: “The arrest was made by officers from the MPS Aviation Unit. It is routine for officers policing airports to carry firearms. These were not drawn or used at any point during the arrest.”
Graham Linehan is also facing a separate charge of harassment and is due to appear in court on Thursday.
