Police chief candidate slams ‘preposterous’ arrest

The British Freedom police commissioner candidate arrested at the weekend has claimed the authorities are trying to “silence” him.

Senior English Defence League member Kevin Carroll, 43, secured his place in the race to become Bedfordshire Police Commissioner on Friday.

But the following day he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance.

Mr Carroll said: “It’s absolutely preposterous”.

“My name went in on Friday and I’m being arrested on Saturday.

“It’s all being done to blacken my name because they don’t want me to stand and they’re trying to silence me.

“I’m a local lad and I speak the truth and they don’t like it.

“I am totally denying everything that I’m being accused of.”

The self-employed carpenter said his home had been raided and he had lost the contract he was running because of his arrest.

“It’s unbelievable. I’ve had to miss a major PCC meeting today because of all this. But I’ve just got to roll with the punches. I think I have a genuine chance of winning.”

It has been reported that 53 other English Defence League members arrested on Saturday were planning a surprise demonstration outside a mosque in east London.

Mr Carroll said the men were not planning to do “anything illegal”.

>>The confirmed police and crime commissioner candidates for Bedfordshire are: Linda Jack, Liberal Democrat; Jas Parmar, Conservative; Olly Martins, Labour; Kevin Carroll, British Freedom Party; Mezanur Rashid, Independent.

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