A prospective candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) role in Bedfordshire has reportedly been arrested just hours after officially lodging his nomination.
Kevin Carroll, who was running on behalf of the political wing of the English Defence League (EDL) the British Freedom Party, is understood to have been arrested on Saturday alongside leader of EDL Tommy Robinson.
The right wing group confirmed Mr Carroll’s and Mr Robinson’s arrest via their Twitter page, with the candidate understood to be one of 53 held following an undercover police operation.
It is claimed that police in riot vans stopped vehicles carrying EDL members on the M1 near Luton on Saturday.
A spokesman for The Metropolitan Police, who led the operation, said the arrests were made following intelligence which led them to believe there were planned disturbances in east London.
When questioned if it was true Carroll was one of those arrested a response from the EDL’s official Twitter account responded ‘It’s true’.
It was only on Friday Kevin Carroll officially submitted the 100 signatures and £5,000 cash needed to run as a candidate and is the latest revelation to hit the PCC election in Bedfordshire.
A man standing for a new role overseeing policing across Bedfordshire was arrested on Saturday, according to reports.
Kevin Carroll is the English Defence League (EDL) candidate to become Police And Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Bedfordshire in next month’s election.
It is claimed that he was one of 53 EDL members arrested at the weekend, along with party leader Tommy Robinson, aka Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The reports appeared to be confirmed by the EDL’s official Twitter feed.
Responding to one Twitter-user who posted “Is it true about Tommy and Kev getting arrested today ???” the EDL site replied: “It is true.”
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said:
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 20, MPS officers arrested 53 people at various locations on motorways on the outskirts of London.Mr Carroll is one of four candidates for the newly-created commissioner role.
The arrests formed part of an intelligence-led, pre-event investigation into a planned disturbance in east London on the same day.
All 53 were males and they were arrested for conspiracy to cause public nuisance before being taken into custody at various locations in central and south London.
Today, October 21, those arrested are being bailed pending further enquiries, on the condition they do not enter east London to demonstrate for a stipulated period of time.
**Later:
Please note that according to the comment below, which is supported by a link, this newspaper report is inaccurate in one detail about the arrest of PCC candidate Kev Carrol.
However the fact that a PCC candidate was arrested at all is the main point.
Kevin Carroll, the British Freedom candidate for Beds Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), was arrested on Saturday and has been bailed until November 30.
ReplyDeleteMr Carroll is a senior member of the EDL, and it was initially thought he was among the 53 EDL members arrested on their way to east London on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance on Saturday.
A Brtish Freedom Party statement on their website said: “In contradiction to earlier reports, we can confirm that Kevin was not among EDL supporters stopped by police on the M1, but was arrested later whilst driving to his home. The police have no evidence against Kevin Carroll because he has committed no crime; their action appears to be a clumsy effort to discredit him in the run-up to the PCC election on November 15.”
Mr Carroll is one of four candidates for the newly-created commissioner role.
The PCC will replace Bedfordshire Police Authority, and will scrutinise policing across the county.
Their powers will include being able to appoint and dismiss the chief constables setting out a five-year police and crime plan after their election, and publishing an annual report.
via http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/local/edl-police-candidate-unaffected-by-arrest-1-4397077
Thanks for the correction.
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