Kent Police Pays £20,000 Compensation to Retired Constable for Wrongful Arrest Over Social Media Post

Julian Foulkes, a 71-year-old retired special constable from Kent, was wrongfully arrested and detained by Kent Police after replying to a pro-Palestinian activist on social media with a warning about rising anti-Semitism. He was handcuffed at home by six officers, subjected to an eight-hour detention including fingerprinting and interrogation, and issued a caution which he accepted under duress despite no criminal act having occurred; this caution has since been removed from his record. Kent Police later acknowledged the arrest and caution were mistakes, with Chief Constable Tim Smith personally apologizing to Foulkes and the force agreeing to a £20,000 compensation payment plus legal fees in an out-of-court settlement. The police also referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) for further investigation. The Free Speech Union supported Foulkes throughout the legal challenge, condemning the incident as a breach of civil liberties. Foulkes emphasized that his pursuit of justice was about principle rather than money and called for a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences.