26 Comments
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Neil hemmings's avatar

It seems that the so-called "establishment " in the UK do not wish to be confronted with the truth. It is a shamful abuse and waste of Public finances. These incidents are occuring far to often and need nipped in the bud.

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Lo's avatar

Well that’s one way to try to shut NN Journal up isn’t it! Glad you got a full apology and training will be given. Sex with a 14 year old is statutory rape of a child 😡. THATS the story here

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Simon Tilley's avatar

Well according to what we see abuse of children is apparently legal, but asking questions about it is harassment?

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Ed Jennings's avatar

So sorry you’ve had to experience this, Sarah. Running this kind of outlet is difficult enough without this sort of thing. Keep doing what you do.

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Anita Andree Marie SHIELDS's avatar

I was shocked to read this particular article. However, this shows the Police in the worst possible light. They are quite prepared to go out of their way to defend an ex police officer with a criminal conviction. To make this kind of treats against a journalist, when we have a free press in UK, demonstrates what bully boys the Police can be. Someone must have send this Constable to Sarah Ward house? Who was it? Have they been discipline? That should be the first priority of the Police. Additionally, there should be an investigation conducted by the Northamptonshire, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone.

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Paul Crofts's avatar

So sorry to hear that this happenned to you Sarah.😱 This was totally out of order, but shows that corrupt ex-police officers can suddenly become "victims" in the eyes of their ex-colleagues. Apology is to be be welcome as is action taken to train officers to prevent this happenning again. May be wider training is required on their clear legal duties under the Human Rights Act!

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John Morgan's avatar

This is a deeply worrying story for all who believe in the freedom of the press. The actions of Northants Police are completely out-of-order. The intimidation of the outstanding journalist, Sarah ward, is a disgrace. This is what happens in fascist and communist states, not in the UK or, at least I thought so until today. The nonsense being put out by Northants Police seeking to lay the blame on a police constable deserves contempt. There is no way an officer would have visited Sarah Ward on his own initiative. He had instructions from high up the ladder. The question is from whom?

So, we have Northants Police treating a former officer guilty on his own admission to the former leader of NNC Conservatives of sex with an under age and vulnerable girl as the victim. This indicates to me not only have the police lost their moral compass but, much worse, there is deep seated corruption in play to protect the perpetrator. Why and who is responsible?

And in all this mire where is Commissioner Danielle Stone to be seen and heard?

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Anita Andree Marie SHIELDS's avatar

John you will not hear anything from Danielle Stone. Any serious issues such like "Police intimidation" and "corruption of any kind", she is "too busy" getting ethnics group to reach out to us poor Brit. 🤣🤣🤣

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ce's avatar

sarah you have our support thank you for your reliable journalism, dont let these bad apples intimidate you we are grateful that you bring us such a high standard of news.

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Charles Best's avatar

Go Sarah. Amazed that it seems some of Binley's former colleagues are prepared to bend the law in support of him. When will they get it?

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Dave Pearson's avatar

Some people have no empathy for asylum seekers because they are simply incapable of it. The inability to imagine what somebody else might be going through, or to identify with what they might be feeling can have various causes:

1. Childhood trauma – children harden their hearts to protect themselves from abuse, and carry that into adulthood.

2. Mental health disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder and schizophrenia are linked to impaired empathy.

3. Self-centeredness. Some people are so focused on themselves and their own needs that they can’t or won’t show any interest in the feelings or experiences of others.

When we see them foaming at the mouth outside an immigration hotel, or making speeches in Parliament calling for their closure, we should try to be patient with the empathy impaired. They can’t help it, poor dears.

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Tiberious's avatar

Most people are not guilible enough to be taken in by the bogus so called asylum seekers. Call them what they really are, illegal economic migrants

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Surrounded By Villians's avatar

...and they are the ones this government is sorting out and the previous one didn't. A change of government now would lead to a catastrophic leadership, both socially and fiscally, with little done to cure the problem.

Noticeably, the situation has worsened since Brexit (ONS figures)

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Tiberious's avatar

Sorting out !!! The number of asylum seekers in hotels has risen by nearly 2,500 during Labour's first year in office, equivalent to almost 50 a week, official figures show. Asylum applications also hit a record high of more than 111,000 from June 2024 to June 2025 after a surge in small-boat crossings. The sooner this disastrous Labour government are kicked out and replaced by REFORM the better so that Britain can be made Great again.

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Maria Botterill's avatar

This has happened a few times where a perpetrator of a crime or wrong doing shouts harrassment and the police act on the supposed harrassment, only to apologise later. In my case armed guards. Fortunately I was not there and I was also fortunate as others never received an apology and even got imprisoned on Christmas Eve.

We can assume this intimidating behaviour by the police is as suggested is to 'shut up' NN Journal, as Lorna put it.

I wonder if there is a court case this week that they may want NN Journal to ward off, excuse the pun Sarah Ward.

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Melanie McElvanney's avatar

It seems there are a few take away points from this whole sordid and unfortunate incident. a) in the Binley family the apples do not appear to fall too far from the tree. What a surprise. b) one has to wonder whether the ex-policeman appears to still have a few friends on the force, or the 're-training' is very much needed to prevent all its officers from from being pushed into falling for the 'do you know who I am/my father is...?' type of pressure, c) certain people will go to any lengths to try to cover/shut up journalistic investigations.

I very much hope Sarah Ward has not been left with any concerns about how the county's police force (or any other) along with any other legal processes might impact her work, or her personally, as it clearly seems she was the one being harassed.

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Simon Tilley's avatar

The comments from Binley's good mate Adam Ward imply the officer took it upon himself to visit with no instructions whatsoever, because that's how policing works, no control just officers picking up work and running with it with no oversight. Someone assigned that officer and someone signed off on his visit.

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Melanie McElvanney's avatar

As we don't know who the officer that visited Sarah Ward was, or their rank, I guess it is difficult to tell whether they were directed to pay a visit or it was their own idea? Let's face it, Binley's 'good mate' is unlikely to drop his mate in it, so whatever the truth of it, instructed, or own idea, let's hope the re-training and the thankfully rather public kerfuffle about the visit proves instrumental in this kind of thing being repeated.

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Anita Andree Marie SHIELDS's avatar

I have experienced being an Independent Member of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime panel that "Lessons are never learned". We had no so long ago the Chief constable Balhatchet stating that improvement has been made. However, there is no evidence to support his statement of improvement. What the public sees is an attacks on civil liberty by the "Harassment act" being misuse by the Police. I agree with Simon Tilley comments, that someone higher up the ladder signed off this assignment. Who will be brave enough to own up?

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Simon Tilley's avatar

I certainly think more questions need to be asked to get all the facts around this. I currently do not accept the "lessons will be learned" training story, but until we know who the officer was and the communication trail of who signed off on the visit, the version of events put forward is open to criticism.

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oracle's avatar

You have never been anything but a brilliant investigative journalist, please continue to do what you do, you have my full support

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Simon Tilley's avatar

Well done Northants Police, after an entire year of trying to hoodwink the public that you are under new management and more than just the name above the door has changed, the mask slips and you score this huge own goal showing the public how the system really works. Weaponising harassment to try to keep scandals under wraps and threatening someone to ensure their silence. This is no different than how things were under Adderley and Mold. I assume all other people who report harassment will get this Rolls Royce treatment of home visits to those we name regardless of substance?

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Tiberious's avatar

Well done to REFORM controlled West Northants in taking steps to close asylum hotels in its area. We want none in, all out and Labour out.

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Tom Sanders's avatar

FREE SARAH WARD !

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Robert ANDERSON's avatar

Maybe the police commissioner would like to comment and follow up

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