Child, nine, among youngsters being probed by cops over hate incidents

A nine-year-old child is among the youngsters being probed by police over hate incidents, it is understood. 

Officers recorded incidents against the child, who called a fellow primary school pupil a 'retard', and against two schoolgirls who said another student smelled 'like fish'.  

The youngsters were among multiple cases of children being recorded as having committed non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), The Times discovered through freedom of information requests to police forces. 

NCHIs are meant to be recorded for incidents 'clearly motivated by intentional hostility' and where there is a genuine risk of significant escalation, government guidance says. 

Incidents in classrooms that do not amount to crimes are not meant to be recorded. 

The news comes amid a debate on free speech after journalist Allison Pearson is being investigated by police over a post she made on social media a year ago. 

The award-winning writer told The Telegraph that officers turned up at her door and said 'I was accused of a non-crime hate incident. It was to do with something I had posted on X a year ago. A YEAR ago? Yes. Stirring up racial hatred apparently'.

Newly collected data shows the recording of NCHIs is widespread - with critics questioning whether the investigation of non-crime hate incidents is an appropriate use of police resources, especially in cases regarding children.

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary and former policing minister, said: 'These examples are obviously totally absurd. 

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'Pursuing these sorts of incidents is a total waste of police time - they should be concentrating on criminals. It risks having a chilling effect on free speech, one of the fundamental values of this country.' 

Journalist Ms Pearson said she was still in her dressing gown when Essex Police officers showed up at her door on Remembrance Sunday. 

A spokesman for Essex Police said this week: 'As a police force, we investigate matters which are reported to us without fear or favour, no matter who makes a report or to whom the incident concerns.'

At the time of Ms Pearson's alleged tweet last year, the journalist was regularly posting about Hamas's October 7 attacks on Israel, as well as pro-Palestine demonstrations happening in London.

On Tuesday night, Essex Police said officers had opened an investigation under section 17 of the Public Order Act 1986 relating to material allegedly 'likely or intended to cause racial hatred'.