Essex Police deny Braverman reprimanded them over pub’s seizure of Gollywug dolls | Essex

[ad_1]

Essex Police denied being reprimanded by Suella Braverman for confiscating a set of golliwog dolls that were on display in a pub.

Officers from the force took several dolls from the White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex, last week as part of an investigation into an alleged hate crime reported in February.

A source close to Braverman noted that the Home Secretary’s displeasure was “very clear to the Essex Police, so they are under no illusions”, according to MailOnline.

It quoted the source as saying that the police force “should not get involved in this kind of nonsense” and instead focus on “catching criminals”.

But sources in the force said Braverman had not made any contact about the investigation.

On Tuesday, a team of four officers and a trainee attended the pub after a report said someone had been racially harassed, upset or disturbed by the presence of the dolls, which are based on racist cartoons. The force said it is working closely with the public prosecution on this matter.

No arrests have been made.

The innkeeper, Bennis Riley, said she had displayed a collection of about 30 dolls, donated by her late aunt and her clients, in the pub nearly 10 years ago. She told Palestinian media: “They are the history of my childhood, it is part of our inheritance. I see no harm. I don’t know how they could find that offensive.”

Riley’s husband, Chris, is scheduled to be questioned upon his return from abroad in May.

Braverman’s alleged intervention came days after she criticized her for singling out British Pakistani men over gang concerns, despite government research showing no basis for such an association. She criticized last year’s “read the Guardian, eat tofu wokirati”.

Skip promoting previous newsletters

Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean, for free every morning of the week

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertisements, and content funded by third parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

After promoting the newsletter

Essex Police said in a statement: “We are investigating an allegation of a hate crime made to us on 24 February.

Essex Police have discussed the progress of the case with the Crown Prosecution Service. On Tuesday 4th April, officers attended a site off Argent Street, Grays, and seized several items in connection with this investigation.

“The force is proud of the work we do to prevent crime, deal with offenders, and build trust in all communities.”

[ad_2]