Scotland Yard has announced it will stop investigating non-crime hate incidents, a move expected to end controversial police visits over social media posts deemed offensive but not criminal. This decision follows the dropping of a case against comedy writer Graham Linehan, whose tweets about transgender activists sparked a high-profile probe. Senior police officials and government ministers have welcomed the shift, saying it will allow officers to focus on serious crimes like violence and antisocial behaviour, rather than policing online speech.

Non-crime hate incidents, which involve actions perceived as hostile or prejudiced but do not meet the threshold for a criminal offence, have been widely criticised for their impact on free speech and for consuming significant police resources. Despite the change, such incidents will still be recorded for intelligence purposes, but will not trigger investigations unless they cross into criminal territory. Experts predict other police forces across England may soon follow Scotland Yard's lead, marking a significant change in how authorities handle reports of offensive but non-criminal behaviour.