AddThis SmartLayers

Police watchdog to investigate weekly reporter’s harassment complaint

Gareth DaviesA police watchdog is set to review a weekly reporter’s complaint after he was accused of harassing a convicted conwoman.

As reported last month on HTFP, the Metropolitan Police dismissed a complaint by the Croydon Advertiser’s Gareth Davies over its decision to serve him with a prevention of harassment notice.

Gareth was served with the notice after Neelam Desai, who received a 30 month jail sentence after pleading guilty to a series of frauds totalling £230,000, contacted the police to say she felt “persecuted” by the stories he was writing about her.

Gareth, pictured above left, received a letter from the Met which concluded he “did go beyond what is reasonable” in his reporting of the case.

However, he has now appealed to the Independent Police Complaints Commission about his treatment by the Met.

A review into the case is set to be completed within eight weeks.

A recent report by Parliament’s Home Affairs Select Committee recommended further guidance and training to police officers on the appropriate use of such notices.

Said Gareth: “I am pleased the case is being looked into and look forward to the outcome, especially in light of the recent Home Affairs Committee report.”

One comment

You can follow all replies to this entry through the comments feed.
  • March 18, 2015 at 3:58 pm
    Permalink

    Full credit to Mr Davies.

    No doubt there is more to this story than can be summed up in this single 200-word piece, but unless she has a staggeringly good case all of my sympathies are with him.

    Report this comment

    Like this comment(8)