Far-right group’s deputy leader charged with threatening and abusive language

The deputy leader of far-right group Britain First has been charged with using threatening and abusive language at a rally in Belfast.

Jayda Fransen, 31, is facing the court action in Northern Ireland over a speech she made at an anti-terrorism demonstration in the city on August 6.

Fransen, from Penge, south east London, was arrested by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers on Saturday in Bromley, south east London and taken to Belfast for questioning.

She has been bailed to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on December 14.

In a Facebook Live post from outside Belfast City Airport, Fransen said: “I’m free, as you can see, and I’m outside Belfast City Airport.

“I’ve just been driven here by the police, they took me out of the police station, put me in a police car and drove me straight to the airport and said I’ve got to go straight home.”

Describing her arrest, she said: “I was escorted in a police van with four officers up to Liverpool to catch a ferry. Bearing in mind, I was arrested at quarter to four, our ferry was 10.30 at night and it arrived here in Belfast at 6.30 this morning so it’s been quite a jaunt.”

She said police questioned her for around three to four hours, accusing her of being “anti-Islamic”, and released her after she was charged.

“This all relates to a speech that I gave at an event over here where I was invited as a guest speaker, the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism on the 6 August,” she added.

A PSNI spokesman said: “A 31-year-old woman arrested by PSNI Criminal Investigation Branch Detectives in London yesterday has been charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour.

“She is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 14 December.”