Tommy Robinson has goaded cops in Cyprus over their claim they are ‘ready to help’ British police take action against him by insisting he is no longer in the country.
Robinson has been fanning the flames of tension in riot-hit Britain with a constant stream of inflammatory and inaccurate social media posts while on a Mediterranean holiday.
The 41-year-old, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is also facing legal difficulties after failing to attend a court hearing last Monday for allegedly breaching an order not to repeat lies about a Syrian refugee.
This prompted a warrant to be issued for for his arrest, although a High Court judge said this should not be carried out ‘until early October’ to give him time to confirm he would attend the next hearing voluntarily.
Police in Cyprus today said they stood ready to assist their British counterparts if necessary, but Robinson replied by saying: ‘Lucky I’m not in Cyprus then.’
Tommy Robinson has been fanning the flames of tension in riot-hit Britain with a constant stream of inflammatory and inaccurate social media posts while on holiday in Cyprus
The 41-year-old, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is also facing legal difficulties after failing to attend a court hearing last Monday on a separate issue
‘We are in contact with the British police, and if they need our assistance, we are ready to help,’ a spokesperson said.
Cyprus police told news agency AFP they believed Robinson was still on the island, and they have informed British authorities they are keeping an eye on him.
‘He is still in Cyprus as far as we know,’ the spokesperson said.
Britain’s director of public prosecutions warned today that social media influencers allegedly fuelling violent disorder would be extradited, but did not mention Robinson by name.
Stephen Parkinson told the BBC that offenders ‘must know that they are not safe and there is nowhere to hide’.
He added: ‘We would certainly consider extradition if we are satisfied that an offence has been committed.’
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said ‘there will be a reckoning’ for perpetrators, adding that social media put a ‘rocket booster’ under the violence which erupted more than a week ago after three children were murdered.
This week a reporter from the Mail watched on as Robinson, armed only with his phone, seamlessly merged enjoying the luxury of a £400-a-night all-inclusive hotel with rabble-rousing.
Having first secured his lounger with a towel, there were trips to the gym, for pizza and to the pool – all interspersed with a constant stream of inflammatory social media posts.
There were messages attacking the police for going soft on Muslim protests, on the media for labelling protesters as ‘far-Right’ and on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper for calling them ‘thugs’.
He also shared a series of fake stories over the weekend including claims that Muslims had stabbed protesters in Staffordshire and attacked three women in Scotland. On and on the messages went, almost around the clock.
Thugs attack a line of riot police during disturbances in Plymouth on Tuesday night
And yet when accused of having a hand in whipping up the on-going disorder Robinson was outraged.
‘It’s not on me, it’s on you,’ he posted in a video. ‘This mess is your doing not mine. Your policy failures gave birth to these tensions, your failure to listen & to lie & label everyone far right has caused this.
‘Your cowardice to enforce the law equally has caused this. Two-tier policing has caused this not me.’
With nearly 900,000 followers on Twitter/X, Robinson, a violent, convicted criminal, has transformed himself from street fighter to social media influencer.
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He was banned from the platform in 2018 but allowed back on last year by its new owner, Elon Musk. Analytics published by Robinson last week showed that his posts had been viewed 1.2 billion times in the three months to August.
It comes as an armchair thug who urged far-right yobs to ‘smash the f**k’ out of a hotel housing asylum seekers was locked up yesterday pending his sentencing.
Jordan Parlour, a 28-year-old sign installer described by his lawyer as a ‘family man’, is the first man to be charged over Facebook posts relating to the violent disorder across the UK.
Parlour – who was unable to take to the streets for violence because he had broken his heel – instead turned to social media to incite protesters to target the Britannia Hotel in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
The hotel, in the Seacroft area of the city and close to Parlour’s home, had been attacked with rocks and a window had been broken – though it was not the scene of mass violence.
Jordan Parlour, a 28-year-old sign installer described by his lawyer as a ‘family man’, is the first man to be charged over Facebook posts relating to the violent disorder across the UK
Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said that terror legislation is already being used in relation to one rioting case meaning other instances of public disorder could be treated similarly.
Yesterday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday hit out at ‘armchair thugs’ such as Tommy Robinson, who have been fanning the flames of tension online.
One man – 19-year-old James Nelson – has already been charged, as he was jailed for two months after pleading guilty to causing criminal damage.
Parlour attempted to stir up racial hatred with posts on Facebook using his mobile phone between August 1 and 5.
One post read: ‘Every man and his dog should smash the f**k out of the Britannia Hotel.’ In a second, he stated: ‘Cos they are over here living the life of Reilly, off the tax you hard working people earn, when it could be put to better use.’
