No apologies over Grays golly doll pub investigation, says police chief

Officers investigated reports of a hate crime at The White Hart which had golly dolls on display

A police chief constable has "no regrets" after his officers investigated pub landlords who displayed golly dolls behind their bar.

Earlier this year officers removed the dolls from the White Hart Inn in Grays, Essex, which has since shut down following a hate crime allegation.

Last week the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced no further action would be taken after the Essex Police probe.

But chief Constable BJ Harrington said he would "make no apologies".

Essex Police Chief Constable BJ Harrington said he does not believe the force overreacted

Speaking to BBC Essex he said: "Did we overreact? No.

"If someone makes an allegation of a crime, it's our job to proportionally investigate that, to gather the evidence and to make sure, if it meets the threshold, to put it to the Crown Prosecution Service who then make an assessment. Firstly about the evidence and about the public interest.

"That's what we did in this case. I make no apologies for doing that," he added.

Essex Police said it investigated whether a public order offence had been committed

The force said a member of the public reported on 24 February that the items displayed at Benice and Chris Ryley's pub "caused them alarm and distress".

The police seized the dolls from behind the bar on 4 April and the Campaign for Real Ale removed the pub from its Good Beer Guide the following week.

Mrs Ryley said she had displayed the collection, donated by her late aunt and customers, for nearly 10 years.

The building was vandalised on 16 April, prompting a separate police investigation.

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Mrs Ryley closed the pub on 1 May, citing a boycott by brewing companies and the maintenance firm Innserve.

Essex Police said it investigated under section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 - causing intentional harassment, alarm or distress - and section 31 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 - a racially or religiously aggravated public order offence.

The Ryleys were leaseholders of the pub and the building owner, Admiral Taverns, said in May it planned to reopen the venue under new management.