No charges over allegedly abusive Newport trans stickers

Police were called about posters containing allegedly offensive material in Newport

An investigation into a woman who put up stickers said to be directed towards transgender people has been dropped.

Jennifer Swayne, 53, from Newport, was arrested in January on suspicion of criminal damage and displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

She described the posters as feminist, which said "nothing hateful".

Gwent Police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided not to charge Ms Swayne.

The force said it had received six calls between October and January about posters in Newport containing allegedly offensive material.

Ms Swayne admitted putting up posters in the Pillgwenlly area but said they were for "education purposes" and not one of them mentioned "anything horrible about any particular group".

At the time of the arrest, the Gwent force said it was aware of a yellow sticker on social media which states "3 women are killed by men each week" and "domestic violence kills".

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The force said the woman was not arrested in relation to this sticker and its contents, but said it could not confirm the content, adding: "The content of the stickers is directed towards the transgender community."

The former teacher said her arrest, which saw officers remove an "academic book" and "loads of notes", was "absolutely ridiculous".

She said she "did not co-operate with police" and was "crammed into a van" which she said was bad for her rheumatoid arthritis.

At the time, the force said it had issued guidance to people not to remove posters in Newport "after sharp objects had been found behind them".

In a statement on Friday the force said: "After undertaking a detailed investigation, officers investigating the alleged offences submitted a file to the CPS, [which] took the decision not to charge.

"The investigation has now concluded."