‘Police state’ row as officers track down and threaten to arrest man who criticised his local Green councillor over outdoor drinking ban

This is an extraordinary moment when two Met police officers followed a photographer to a bar and threatened him with arrest for his critical tweets about a local Green councillor, even though he admitted no wrongdoing.

Alastair Hilton was drinking with a friend in Chiswick on Thursday night when uniformed police officers took him out to question him about social media posts.

As the debate over ‘two-tier policing’ rages in the UK, a furious Mr Hilton told officers his terrified daughter had been the subject of an attempted burglary while she slept just weeks ago and claimed police refused to attend.

But last night the Met sent officers to a bar to follow him and question him about some of his tweets, even though he admitted no wrongdoing.

Mr Hilton, who was celebrating the West London community’s victory, was asked to leave by two police officers after locals successfully campaigned to save outdoor seating outside three much-loved pubs on the River Thames.

At one point a police officer even read him the law under which Scotland Yard would arrest him if he crossed the line.

Mr Hilton said: ‘They came to threaten me. To warn me not to tweet about councilors and council. This is modern Britain. This is a police state. The police come out to threaten someone who hasn’t committed a crime. I’m getting angry.’

The incident is yet another incident where police interfered with freedom of expression.

The police officer read him the legislation under which he would be arrested during the extraordinary exchange

Mr Hilton filmed himself this morning expressing his disbelief that the police were following and threatening him; even though they hadn’t been to his daughter’s house when a burglary had been attempted weeks earlier.

The row began after a council threatened three pubs with a ban on outdoor eating and drinking.

The Bull’s Head, The City Barge and The Bell & Crown in Strand-on-the-Green in Chiswick have been told to remove tables, chairs and sunbeds from the riverside path by Monday.

However, Hounslow Council backed down after a campaign launched by local residents.

Mr Hilton had claimed on social media that the first complaint about the outdoor seating area was made by Green Party councilor Rick Rowe, but Mr Rowe denied this.

On Thursday night, police tracked him to The Bell & Crown; where two police officers took him outside and warned him that he was “close” to committing a crime.

Mr Hilton filmed the 12-minute conversation, accusing the officers of threatening him and claiming they had been sent on orders from Councilor Rowe.

The images later went viral.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Metropolitan Police and Major Rowe for comment.

Police contacted Mr Hilton for allegedly planning a protest outside the home of Green Party councilor Rick Rowe.

In the footage, Mr Hilton appeared stunned and vehemently denied the claim, telling officers: ‘I wasn’t planning any protests.’

Yet a police officer continued to read the law under which he could be arrested if such a protest took place.

The officer then alerted Mr Hilton to tweets mentioning the councillor’s home being close to pubs.

The officer, who repeatedly told him he came close to committing a crime, said: ‘We became aware of posts on X where you talked about someone’s home and gave descriptions of that address.’

The officer hastily admitted that Mr Hilton had not given his ‘real address’ but warned him: ‘There may be harassment and there is even danger.’

The officer repeatedly admitted no crime had been committed and told the photographer: ‘That’s why there’s a conversation. I’m just saying be careful here.’

Initially shocked, Mr. Hilton became increasingly angry during the interview.

She told officers that her daughter’s houseboat had been broken into while she was sleeping just a few weeks ago.

A window was smashed close to his head and after calling 999 he was allegedly told: ‘There’s nothing we can do’.

Expressing his disappointment, he said: ‘So you have come forward for something that is not a crime. But when a crime is committed and my daughter’s window next to her is broken in the middle of the night, nothing happens.

‘When something happens that you look up on the internet and say it’s not a crime… a cop shows up.’

He added: ‘You came to threaten me.’

The police officer refused to threaten him and responded: ‘We’re transforming. I was hoping for a handshake and walking away.’

Mr Hilton responded to the handshake offer: ‘That’s not going to happen. “I don’t have a chance,” he said before the officers left.

The officer denied threatening him but asked him to be ‘careful’ with his social media posts

The police intervention came after Mr Hilton and others forced the council to do a backflip after three pubs in a historic area on the banks of the Thames faced demands to remove all outdoor seating at the height of the British summer.

The Bull’s Head, The City Barge and the Bell & Crown in Strand-on-the-Green have been told to get rid of street furniture by this Monday after Hounslow Council carried out an investigation.

The issue first came to the attention of the Labour-run council when The Bull’s Head applied to renew its licence, resulting in the rapid removal of outdoor seating.

It was later discovered that two other pubs also did not have permission to place furniture on the walkway under Hounslow Council’s Highways Act.

Under current licensing rules, pubs and restaurants must apply for a pavement license to place outdoor furniture on public ‘highways’.

A worker from The City Barge said the bar had “lost a lot” during the dispute, with up to 50 customers at a time no longer able to enjoy drinks by the river.

‘Everyone wants to sit there,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘A very beautiful view’.

Affected bartenders claim council officers told them they were ‘obliged’ to launch an investigation into a single complaint about decades-old furniture.

Three pubs on the historic Thames side have forced the council to turn down after a request to remove all outdoor seating sparked a local backlash (pictured, The City Barge in Chiswick)

A worker from The City Barge (pictured) warned that up to 50 customers at a time could no longer enjoy drinks by the riverside, saying the bar had ‘lost a lot’ in the dispute

‘I want to be really clear. I support our riverside pubs,’ Geeen Party councilor Rick Rowe said in a statement after an angry local accused him of instigating the outdoor furniture ban

Alastair Hilton sparked backlash after claiming the complaint had been made by Green Party councilor Rick Rowe in a series of social media posts.

Mr Hilton, a local photographer, said he was ‘furious’ at the decision to block all three pubs from offering outdoor seating, warning it would ‘ruin business’.

Cllr Rowe issued a press statement after dozens of locals protested outside the City Barge pub on Wednesday evening.

‘I want to be really clear. ‘I support our riverside bars,’ he wrote.

‘I have not asked the Council to remove outdoor seating from the Bell & Crown, City Barge, Bull’s Head or any pub in Strand-on-the-Green.

‘This is not my position and never has been.’

The council agreed to allow outdoor seating to remain in place despite three pubs applying for a licence.

Councilor Amy Croft, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Enforcement and Recycling, said applications would be processed as soon as possible.

He said: ‘We recognize the important role riverside pubs play in the local community and appreciate their contribution to the economy and character of the area.

‘We are required by law to ensure that all outdoor seating and structures placed on a public highway or riverside towpath have appropriate consents and do not impede access by pedestrians, wheelchair users, people with pushchairs or emergency services.

‘Following investigations into outdoor furniture and installations at a number of premises in the Strand-on-the-Green, officers examined the relevant permits and licensing regulations. Businesses are required to have a pavement permit where tables, chairs, shelves or other removable furniture are placed on public highways.

‘We want to ensure that pubs can continue to trade as normal and so we will continue to work constructively with affected businesses and process any applications as quickly as possible.’

Under current licensing rules pubs and restaurants must apply for a pavement license to place outdoor furniture on public ‘highways’ (pictured, The Bell & Crown)

The council has since agreed to allow outdoor seating to remain in place while three pubs apply for a license (pictured, The Bell & Crown)

It comes as London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan vowed to tackle opponents of outdoor dining in nearby Soho using sweeping new licensing powers.

The move comes after Westminster City Council refused to support the extension of seasonal pedestrianisation plans recently announced by City Hall.

The £500,000 Summer Streets scheme is designed to support outdoor dining, events and longer opening hours to boost London’s night-time economy.

But critics, led by influential residents group Soho Society, argue the plan will worsen noise, crowds and anti-social behavior in the West End.