Police threaten action over campaigner's 'racist' sign

After seeing posters and flyers from various political parties rain down on his local community, the North Anston resident decided to issue his own advice to voters in the form of a message displayed in an upstairs window at his home.

But Roy (74) was stunned when a police car and two uniformed officers turned up at his house 90 minutes after he displayed the handmade sign, which reads “GET THE LOT OUT.”

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A perplexed Roy said: “My sign is up there because the MPs and council leadership we have in place at the moment are a load of rubbish and I want them out, nothing more.

“The police told me that due to the fact that the words were written in red and blue and the background was white, my sign had racist connotations.

“What a load of rubbish—it certainly wasn’t my intention to come across as racist.”

Roy said that police officers had threatened him with court action after he refused to follow instructions to make changes to the sign or remove it.

He was furious when one of the officers admitted that they had come to his home as a result of a single complaint.

Roy, chairman of the Dinnington and Laughton History Society and a former Samaritan, added: “Three years ago vandals put a brick through my window and when I called the police all they offered me was a crime reference number.

“Put up a poster and a police car with two uniformed officers arrives as quick as a flash. It’s unbelievable.”

Despite his outrage, Roy has altered the sign by changing the colour of some of the letters on his sign to yellow, in response to claims that the red, white and blue combination might have “racist” connotations—but he has not altered the wording.

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said: “Officers responded to a call from a complainant who had seen the sign and interpreted it as being racist.

“Given this sign was displayed publicly and seemed to be causing offence we did see fit to attend the address.

“Officers spoke to Mr Newman and were told that his words referred to councillors and MPs. We advised him that the wording could be changed to make that fact more clear.

“Following the officers’ visit the complainant was contacted by us and the meaning of the sign was explained. They said that they were no longer offended and were happy to let the matter rest.

“It is unlikely that any further action will be taken.”