Man charged with sending threats to MPs

Case comes amid ‘unprecedented’ threats and abuse towards politicians

(EPA)

A man has been charged with making threats to MPs amid “unprecedented” levels of abuse.

Wajid Shah, of Slough, is accused of six counts of sending a threatening message.

“The charges are in connection with a series of malicious communications which were of a threatening and abusive nature, with all the victims current or previous Members of Parliament,” a spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said.

The force said it would not identify the alleged victims.

Mr Shah, 26, was initially arrested on 30 March, then again on 15 April and 20 April.

He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 9 October.

The case comes amid mounting concern over “unprecedented” threats and abuse towards MPs.

The number of crimes soared to 152 between January and April this year, a parliamentary inquiry was told – almost double the same period last year.

Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, described the scale and ferocity of the attacks as “extraordinary” in April, saying “polarised opinion” on political and social issues was having an impact.

Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, the head of UK counterterrorism policing, told the same parliamentary committee hearing that anger on both sides of the Brexit debate was a “huge driver” behind the increase.

He said there was a “very clear pattern” of misogyny and racism driving the abuse, revealing just 10 MPs accounted for 29 per cent of all the reports

Max Hill QC, the director of public prosecutions, said spending on security for MPs has increased by more than 100-fold over the last decade.

Security assistance rose from just £37,000 in 2010-11 to £4.2m in 2017-18, reflecting the “changing nature” of threats to MPs, he said.