Allison Pearson said she was "dumbfounded" when police turned up on her doorstep last Sunday and allegedly told her she was being investigated for a non-crime hate incident. But the police have said the investigation is into a criminal offence.

Essex Police say they are investigating Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson over an alleged criminal offence, rather than for a non-crime hate incident (NCHI) as she has suggested.

Essex Police has defended its actions after Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson said she was left “dumbstruck” by a visit to her home on Remembrance Sunday over a social media post. Officers visited Pearson as part of an investigation into alleged incitement to racial hatred, following a complaint from a member of the public, the force said.

Essex Police under fire for investigating Allison Pearson's tweet. Discover the details of the 'non-crime hat incident' and the implications for free speech.

When Allison Pearson posted on X in the wake of the pro-Palestine protests, she never expected to find herself at the centre of a major police investigation. But on Remembrance Sunday, the award-winning writer found herself questioned at her home by two officers accusing her of hate speech.

Essex Police have confirmed they are investigating alleged criminal racial hatred after columnist Allison Pearson said she was “dumbfounded and upset” when she was questioned by police last week. Ms Pearson said she was being investigated over a year-old deleted post online,

Daily Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson received a visit from Essex Police last Sunday and was told she was under investigation for allegedly stirring up racial hatred in a tweet posted.