Far-right activist Tommy Robinson — real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — was detained at Heathrow Airport on Saturday 13 June after returning to the UK from Russia via Turkey.
Robinson, who is 43, was stopped by police and held for around three hours under Schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. His iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices were seized as part of the process. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man in his 40s had been stopped at the airport at around 5pm on Saturday.
Schedule 3 of the Act allows officers at ports to stop, search, question and detain individuals to determine whether they have been engaged in hostile activity. Detentions under this power can take place without the same level of evidence required for a criminal arrest, and frequently result in no further action being taken.
Robinson announced the stop to his followers on social media and appealed for donations towards his legal costs. A spokesperson for Robinson described the detention as an attack on free speech.
The stop came at the end of a week during which Robinson had been heavily active on social media in relation to civil unrest and protests in Northern Ireland and Southampton.
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