Landlords face no further police action over Grays pub which showed golly dolls
Police who raided a pub to seize a collection of offensive golly dolls have said two people who were questioned will face no further action.
Five officers took the dolls – which are based on 18th century minstrels and now regarded as racist caricatures – from the White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex, on 4 April after a hate crime allegation.
In the wake of the raid, suppliers to the pub began a boycott, leading to the closure of the pub around a fortnight later.
The pub was also graffitied and had five windows damaged on 16 April, days after being struck off Camra's Good Beer Guide.
Essex Police said on Wednesday that two people, who were interviewed voluntarily as part of the investigation into the alleged hate crime, have been told they will face no further action.
The force said a member of the public contacted them on 14 February after items displayed at a pub caused them alarm and distress.
Officers carried out a “thorough investigation, following reasonable lines of inquiry, because the force wants everyone to feel safe in our county”.
The investigation was carried out under Section 4(a) of the Public Order Act 1986 and Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the force said.
A man and a woman were interviewed voluntarily and a file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said police.
A CPS spokesman said on Wednesday: “The CPS has a duty to make fair and impartial legal decisions based on the evidence provided to us by the police.
“We considered the available evidence and concluded our legal test for a prosecution was not met.”
Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Glen Pavelin said: “We investigate crimes reported to us without fear or favour.
“This means we are sometimes faced with allegations of crime where people have strong opposing views, but it is the role of policing to remain impartial and investigate allegations raised to us.
“It’s our job to support victims, investigate allegations of crime, ensuring we follow all reasonable lines of inquiry, interview suspects and witnesses, and present the evidence to the CPS to build a case for prosecution.”
Neil Woodbridge, chairman of the Thurrock Independent Advisory Group, a panel of community members who provide Essex Police with critical opinions on key policing issues, said they worked with the force as “critical friends”.
“When an allegation is made, we need to feel confident that Essex Police will show due diligence and act in upholding the law and indeed be in tune with the concerns of the community; we feel they routinely do that,” he said.
“We feel Essex Police took the correct actions in investigating this matter fully. We thank them for taking all potential hate crimes seriously and we would urge all the communities of Thurrock to report anything they have concerns about.”
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