'Father Ted' creator Linehan arrested in UK over transgender posts on X

LONDON (Reuters) -Graham Linehan, the Irish co-creator of TV comedy show "Father Ted", said on Tuesday he had been arrested at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of inciting violence in relation to posts about transgender issues on X.

Linehan, aged 57 and also known for "The IT Crowd", said five armed police officers had escorted him off a flight from Arizona and told him he was under arrest for three posts.

He said in a statement on the Substack website that he had been interviewed by police about each of the posts.

In one, Linehan said: "If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls."

While he was being questioned, a check by a nurse showed he had high blood pressure and he was escorted to a hospital, where he was placed under observation, he said.

"I looked at the single bail condition: I am not to go on Twitter," he said. "That's it. No threats, no speeches about the seriousness of my crimes — just a legal gag order designed to shut me up while I'm (in) the UK, and a demand I face a further interview in October."

Linehan has been a vocal critic of transgender activism on X, formerly known as Twitter, and other platforms. He is due to go on trial later this week on separate charges of harassment and criminal damage involving a transgender activist.

London's Metropolitan Police said a man had been arrested on Monday after arriving on an American Airlines flight.

"The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence," police said. "This is in relation to posts on X."

(Reporting by Paul Sandle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)