A harassment warning given by the police to a weekly newspaper journalist has been revoked after a two-year fight.
The Metropolitan Police has rescinded the Police Information Notice given to Croydon Advertiser chief reporter Gareth Davies in 2014 after he doorstepped and sent two emails to convicted fraudster Neelam Desai.
The Met and the IPCC will also pay the majority of the legal costs for the proceedings and will write to the College of Policing to request a review of the guidance on the use of PINs in relation to journalists.
The force previously said Gareth’s attempts to question Desai, who was previously jailed for 30 months for frauds totalling £230,000, “went beyond what was reasonable” and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) later upheld that decision.
Gareth, above left, backed by the Advertiser’s publisher Local World then new owner Trinity Mirror, challenged the ruling and, earlier this year, a High Court judge granted permission for a judicial review.
They had argued the issuing of harassment warnings to journalists is contrary to Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights, the right to freedom of expression.
Said Gareth of the Met’s decision: “I am pleased the police have agreed to revoke the harassment warning and relieved that this matter has finally been resolved.
“I behaved as journalists across the country do on a daily basis but was issued with a warning by the police, which could have appeared on my criminal record, without officers conducting any form of investigation to establish whether the allegations were true.
“I’m glad that, in agreeing to write to the College of Policing, the Met and the IPCC have acknowledged that the use of PINs in relation to journalists needs to be reviewed. As my case has demonstrated, PINs can be used to impede responsible journalism.
“It’s unfortunate it had to reach this point but this settlement is a step in the right direction.”
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I’m glad Gareth’s ordeal is over.
This should never have happened.
He was quite simply criminalised for doing his job.
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Excellent news, nice one Gareth.
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The whole thing has been a needless waste of time and (taxxpayers) money – plus all the stress.
Plod should be ashamed!
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Great news, well done Gareth!
This has been an absolute farce, well done for sticking with it, a proper victory!
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Well done Gareth and to your paper for supporting you.
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Sad to see that not all the costs are being met by the police and the IPCC.
Hitting the newspaper (and/or union) in the pocket too no doubt.
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And well done Local World and Trinity Mirror for backing Gareth’s fight.
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Once again, the police have done nothing for their image, undermining public faith and leaving us to wonder if they’re as big a menace as the villains.
This farce was the result of a massive misjudgment compounded by their obstinacy in trying the justify the unjustifiable and defend the indefensible.
Gareth and his paper have struck another telling blow against bone-headed bureaucracy and scored a significant victory for free speech and the public’s right to know.
I dread to think how this sad society is going to fare when there are no newspapers left to protect us from our would-be oppressors.
Let’s hope the police learn something from this, like how to make mature, rational judgments when the pressure is on to do otherwise.
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Plod could have easily avoided getting egg on face over this complete nonsense. Local World, Trinity Mirror and Gareth were absolutely right to stick to their guns, and, fortunately, common sense won the day. But you have to ask why the police continually make these blunders – over to you, College of Policing…
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Plod strike again
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Well done Gareth.
Oh, and drive carefully.
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What on earth was the the police force thinking it was doing in trying to stop a reporter doing his job. His attempts had nothing to do with them and, in any case, why, in effect, were they “defending” an alleged fraudster.
I am 68 and been a hack for 50 years and have most of my life been a great defender of the police having been at times a crime reporter but I am becoming more and more disillusioned with their attitude towards the public.
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I should have added that for once the newspaper group concerned was prepared to defend its reporter when so many these dcays shy away from any controversy.
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Since the early 1980s under Thatcher the police seem to have been given carte blanche to do just what the hell they like – as has been witnessed by the recent Hillsborough revelations. There appears to be an underlying sense of entitlement rampant throughout all police forces and this case, coupled with the rise of their spin teams, seems sadly typical. And with governments seemingly happy to keep up this status quo – as long as the men and women in blue do their bidding – I can’t see this pattern ending any time soon. So well done anyway to Gareth and his employers for at least fighting on.
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