Essex Police has dropped its investigation into journalist Allison Pearson over an alleged hate-related social media post from last year.

Pearson had been under investigation for allegedly stirring up racial hatred through a post made on X in November 2022.

The decision to end the inquiry comes amid mounting criticism of the police investigation.

Officers visited Pearson's home as part of their investigation but declined to provide specific details about the social media post in question.

During the visit, police would not disclose which post on X was under investigation or reveal who had made the complaint against her.

A dispute emerged over the nature of the investigation, with Pearson initially believing it was being treated as a non-crime hate incident.

More to follow...