THE BRITISH INQUISITION

Mr and Mrs Roberts, two pensioners [73 and 68 respectively], were subjected to an 80 minute interrogation by the Lancashire Police after they had asked the Wyre Borough Council to display Christian literature in council buildings.

There is no allegation that the couple had been rude, threatening or bad tempered.

The couple, who are both Christians, had written to the council and telephoned them in response to the council’s policy of promoting gay rights. The council distributes gay rights literature in council buildings and advertises its theatre as a venue for civil partnerships [aka gay weddings]. The Roberts had therefore asked if they could make Christian literature also available in these places.

For simply making that request, the couple were referred to the police who sent 2 officers to interrogate them. The officers warned the couple that they were ‘walking on eggshells’ and that their ‘homophobic’ actions were close to being ‘a hate crime’.

Mr Roberts said:

‘[The police] warned me that being discriminatory and homophobic is in line with hate crime. The phrase they used was that we were “walking on eggshells”. One of the officers told me my views were very strong. I told him I had nothing against gays personally but I would go on a demonstration against gay rights.

He asked me if I would be violent towards gays. I said I am not a violent man.’

The council accused the couple of having ‘displayed potentially homophobic attitudes’ and a spokesman said:

‘The council referred this matter to the police for further investigation with the intention of challenging attitudes and educating and raising awareness of the implications of homophobic behaviour.’