Police apologise following arrest of retired special constable over anti-Jewish ‘thought crime’ Tweet
11 May 2025, 14:20
Police have been forced to apologise after a retired special constable was arrested and handcuffed in his home after posting a warning on social media about the rise of antisemitism.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Julian Foulkes, 71, from Gillingham, was arrested by Kent Police after he questioned a supporter of pro-Palestine demonstrations on X.
Bodycam footage of the incident in November 2023, shows officers searching through his home and his belongings, describing his books and literature as "very Brexity".
Officers could be heard raising concerns over a shopping list, written by Mr Foulkes' hairdresser wife, which listed items such as bleach, tin foil and gloves.
They also searched through his more personal items, such as newspaper clippings from the funeral and police investigation of his daughter Francesca's death while on holiday in Ibiza 15 years ago.
Mr Foulkes was interrogated for hours while under suspicion of malicious communication.
He eventually accepted a warning as he was worried any police charge could affect his future visits to travel to Australia to visit his daughter who lives there.
Mr Foulkes told The Sunday Telegraph he felt free speech in the UK was “clearly under attack”. He said: “Nobody is really safe… the public needs to see what’s happening, and be shocked."
Read more: Ukraine 'ready to meet' Russia after Putin call for peace talks on Thursday, says Zelenskyy
Read more: Pope Leo XIV laments ‘third world war in pieces’ in his first Sunday address
The comment Mr Foulkes was investigated for was sparked by his concerns about antisemitism in wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
The retired officer explained he had become worried about reports of mobs storming an airport in Dagestan, Russia to intercept Israeli citizens.
Responding to a post on X from someone who had been on pro-Palestine marches, Mr Foulkes wrote: "One step away from storming Heathrow looking for Jewish arrivals…"
On reflection he recognised it would have been better if he had made it clear he was challenging the original poster about their escalation of antisemitism, rather than it appearing as if he was the one who was planning action at Heathrow.
Read more: University of Sussex fined £585,000 for failing to uphold freedom of speech
Kent Police have since apologised for arresting the retired special constable.
While Mr Foulkes initially accepted an unconditional caution, a Kent Police statement said a “review of the case by the force concluded that the caution was not appropriate in the circumstances”.
“Kent Police apologise to Mr Foulkes for the distress caused and how the report was investigated,” the statement said.
“We have expunged the caution from his record and are pleased to facilitate this correction.”
A review will be undertaken to identify “learning opportunities”, police confirmed.
