No prices laid for spreading misinformation in Southport

A BUSINESSWOMAN arrested after sharing a pretend title on-line for a Southport attacker will face no additional motion.

Bernadette Spofforth, 55, of Chester, was arrested on Aug. 8 after reposting the pretend title, commenting that if it was true, there can be a “heavy price to pay.”

Later when he realised that the knowledge was improper, he eliminated the put up and apologised.

Cheshire Police didn’t title Ms Spofforth however confirmed no additional motion can be taken in opposition to the 55-year-old girl, who lives close to Chester.

Ms Spofforth stated her offence was “sharing a tweet, which I deleted and apologised for sharing as soon as I realised it contained incorrect information”.

He stated: “As has now become known, the idea that a tweet could have been the catalyst for the riots that followed the atrocities in Southport is simply wrong.”

He stated that regardless of “repeatedly insisting that I had done nothing illegal”, the police “dragged” him out of his residence and stored him in a cell for 36 hours.

Ms Spofforth stated: “What I have experienced over the last few weeks is nothing compared to the suffering of the tragic victims in Southport. And I am not trying to compare the two.”

“But I am an ordinary person and I have ordinary thoughts and I believe it is important that the public know how ordinary people can be treated.”

“The nightmare my family and I have gone through over the last month could happen to anyone. And that is unacceptable in the UK in 2024.”

False claims have been shared on-line a few 17-year-old teenager accused of murdering three ladies – Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King – in Southport in July.

It was extensively quoted in viral posts on X, which wrongly steered the attacker was a refugee who had arrived in Britain by boat final yr.

Cheshire Police stated: “A girl who was arrested in reference to an inappropriate social media put up has been launched with out cost.

“A 55-year-old girl from close to Chester was arrested on Thursday 8 August following prices in relation to a social media put up containing false details about the identification of the attacker within the Southport homicide case.

“Following a thorough investigation it has been decided that no further action will be taken due to insufficient evidence.”