No charge for woman arrested over post about Southport stabbings suspect

A woman arrested after sharing a fake name for the Southport attack suspect online will face no further action from police.

Bernadette Spofforth, 55, was arrested at her home in Cheshire in August, after reposting the fake name on X (formally Twitter).

She later deleted the post and apologised after realising the information was wrong.

Ms Spofforth said: "My crime was sharing a tweet which I deleted and apologised for sharing as soon I realised it contained inaccurate information.

"As has now been shown, the idea that one single tweet could be the catalyst for the riots which followed the atrocities in Southport is simply not true.

"Yet, despite repeatedly insisting I'd done nothing illegal, the police dragged me from my home and held me for 36 hours in a cell.

"What I've experienced over the past few weeks is nothing in comparison to the suffering of the tragic victims in Southport. And I'm not trying to compare the two.

"But I am just an ordinary person with ordinary opinions and I think it's important that the public should know how ordinary people can be treated.

"The nightmare my family and I have lived through over the past month could happen to anyone. And in Britain in 2024 that's unacceptable."

Cheshire police did not name Spofforth, but confirmed that a 55-year-old woman from near Chester would face no further action.

A spokesman said: "A woman who was arrested in relation to an inaccurate social media post has been released without charge.

"The 55-year-old woman from near Chester was arrested on Thursday August 8 following allegations in relation to a social media post containing inaccurate information about the identity of the attacker in the Southport murders.

"Following a thorough investigation, a decision has been made that no further action will be taken due to insufficient evidence."

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