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Tim Loughton granted emergency debate after receiving harassment warning Tim Loughton accuses police chief of 'losing the plot'
(about 20 hours later)
Ex-children's minister Tim Loughton has been given permission for an emergency Commons debate after being issued with a police information notice. Ex-children's minister Tim Loughton has accused Sussex Police's chief constable of having "lost the plot" after the MP was issued with a harassment warning.
The Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham complained to Commons Speaker John Bercow after he received the notice, which is sometimes called a harassment warning notice. The Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham said a constituent of his had been "harassing, bullying, stalking, trolling and abusing" him.
In a statement, Mr Bercow told MPs the matter should be given "the precedence accorded to matters of privilege". But Mr Loughton had been served with a police information notice for writing back just once, he told MPs.
But he did not reveal any more details. The notices do not imply that the alleged harassment has taken place.
The debate will take place on Wednesday at 12:30 BST, unless it is delayed by any urgent questions or ministerial statements. But the MP was nonetheless given permission to hold an emergency Commons debate after Commons Speaker John Bercow agreed that the decision to issue the notice should be given "the precedence accorded to matters of privilege".
Although the subject of the debate has not yet been disclosed, Mr Loughton has been involved in a long-running row with a constituent who accused him of racism. Suicide tweet
In a Commons debate in March, he said his constituent had "worked tirelessly to try to make my life hell". Mr Loughton has been involved in a long-running row with a constituent who has accused him of racism.
In a Commons debate in March, he said the man had "worked tirelessly to try to make my life hell".
Mr Loughton said the constituent had sworn at him, accused him of lying and arrogance and published "creatively doctored photographs" on his blog - including one depicting the ex-minister "toting a smoking gun in a playground full of screaming, fleeing children".Mr Loughton said the constituent had sworn at him, accused him of lying and arrogance and published "creatively doctored photographs" on his blog - including one depicting the ex-minister "toting a smoking gun in a playground full of screaming, fleeing children".
After he had responded to the constituent in an angry email that also included some swearing, Sussex Police began an investigation, interviewing the MP for 90 minutes under caution on suspicion of sending a malicious communication. The MP would therefore take the novel approach of "sacking" him as a constituent, he declared, by severing contact with him.
Six months later, Mr Loughton said, he was informed that no further action would be taken. To notify the man of his decision, Mr Loughton decided to mail him a transcript of the debate, an act which he believed would be protected by parliamentary privilege.
He told MPs that he planned to make a formal complaint against the force. But the online abuse had continued, the MP explained: "He's posted vile contorted accounts of my parents' divorce [on his blog], forged tweets, posted references to my neighbours, photographs of my home, and most recently a direct tweet urging me to commit suicide.
A police information notice may be issued where there are allegations of harassment, but do not imply that the police believe the alleged harassment has taken place. "Despite my complaints, on just one occasion this has led to his arrest. The police have failed to secure any charges, and he carries on harassing, bullying, stalking, trolling and abusing me, my family and colleagues.
"However, on 4 September, out of the blue, I had a formal police information notice, a Pin notice, served on me by Sussex Police for harassment."
'Declaration of war'
The notice had made him aware that, "if the kind of behaviour described were to continue, then I would be liable to arrest or prosecution and the specific single-incident behaviour which gave rise to this Pin was the act of sending a copy of Hansard to my constituent".
The MP said the Sussex force's chief constable had been "content to waste taxpayers' resources on this nonsense, whilst senior management of his force is brought into disrepute".
The chief constable had "clearly lost the plot when it comes to distinguishing between the victim and the perpetrator", he concluded.
At the end of the debate, MPs agreed unanimously to refer the police information notice to the Commons Standards and Privileges committee for investigation.
But the constituent told the BBC that he denied carrying out a campaign of abuse and regarded Mr Loughton's speech as a "declaration of war".
He said he was still recovering from Mr Loughton's comments about him - he added that he wanted to see the MP arrested and charged.
Mr Loughton has previously been interviewed by the force for 90 minutes under caution on suspicion of sending a malicious communication after he wrote an angry email to the constituent, swearing at him and describing his appearance as "unkempt".
The man complained to the police that this constituted "racism" because he is of a Romany Gypsy origin, but Mr Loughton denies any knowledge of his heritage.
Six months after being questioned, Mr Loughton was informed that no further action would be taken.