Police spend FOUR WEEKS tracking down mother, 45, after she made Facebook joke about egging PM

To Debra Burt, it was no more than an innocent expression of her frustration at Government spending cuts. She vented her feelings about David Cameron on a friend’s Facebook page with the comment: ‘I’d like to egg him.’

But the mother-of-two was astonished when two detectives arrived on her doorstep to question her...and announced they had been trying to track her down for four weeks.

Last night Mrs Burt, 45, accused them of wasting time ‘snooping’ on the social media site.

She said police should ‘go out and fight real crooks’, adding: ‘I’m not a terrorist. I’m just a middle-aged woman who made a jokey remark.’

Mrs Burt, of Ramsgate, Kent, said she had intended her comment as a joke because of her exasperation over cuts which had left her struggling to find work.

But as police in Kent prepared for last week’s inauguration of the Archbishop of Canterbury – in front of invited guests including Mr Cameron – the quip appears to have set off alarm bells.

Two officers knocked on her door the day before the ceremony to assess whether she posed a ‘threat’ to the Prime Minister. They said they had spent four weeks looking for her, including scouring her Facebook page, visiting her old house and calling an out-of-date mobile number, Mrs Burt said.

She said: ‘My heart was pounding. I felt intimidated. It’s a waste of time. They should be out fighting real crime. I would like to chuck an egg at him but I’d never do it. I’m just unhappy I can’t find more work.’

Kent Police refused to comment on reports they had monitored Facebook ahead of Mr Cameron’s visit last Thursday.

A spokesman said: ‘As part of the security plan for the enthronement ceremony...Kent Police responded to information someone was going to throw an egg at the Prime Minister.

Kent Police visited the person concerned to discuss their concerns and were satisfied there was no threat.’

Police forces across Britain have faced criticism that they waste time investigating minor squabbles and jokes on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.

Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer warned last month that too many such investigations would have a ‘chilling effect’ on freedom of speech.

Prosecutions for crimes involving social media sites have increased almost nine-fold in the last four years, for offences from harassment to grooming and abuse.

Mr Starmer said the ‘misguided’ tweet was meant as a joke but warned internet ‘trolls’ who carried out targeted malicious campaigns would still face prosecution.

Original report here




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