Sir Keir Starmer has told the police to focus on serious crimes after a legendary comedy writer was arrested for his social media posts.

Graham Linehan, the Irish writer behind Father Ted, was arrested by five armed Metropolitan Police officers at Heathrow Airport after stepping off his flight from the US.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister's official spokesman advised the Met to instead focus on issues which "matter most to their communities".

He said: "This is an operational matter for the police, but the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have been clear about what their priorities on crime and policing are: that's tackling antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and street crime, as well as reducing serious violent crime such as knife crime and violence against women.

Downing Street advised police to focus on issues which 'matter most to their communities'

"The Met Police Commissioner himself has talked previously about recruits joining the police to protect the public, and that he wants the police to exist to protect the public, spending their time dealing with the issues that matter most to their communities," he added.

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, dubbed Britain a "police state" following Mr Linehan's arrest - a comment which Sir Keir's spokesman said the Prime Minister did not agree with.

No10 said: "The Prime Minister has spoken previously about how he is strongly in favour of free speech and the long, proud history of free speech in this country, and he will continue to do so."

Mr Linehan, 57, claimed he had been treated like a "terrorist" by police following the arrest after being hauled into a cell "like a criminal".

The 57-year-old claimed that he had been treated as a 'terrorist' by the police following the arrest

He wrote on his blog: "In a country where paedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak, the state had mobilised five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer for this tweet.

Mr Linehan also said he was slapped with a "gagging order" as a condition of his bail which bars him from posting on X.

The writer said: "That's it. No threats, no speeches about the seriousness of my crimes - just a legal gag order designed to shut me up while I'm in the UK, and a demand I face a further interview in October."

After the incident, a spokesman for Scotland Yard confirmed that a man in his 50s had been arrested on suspicion of breaking Part 3A of the Public Order Act.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has confirmed he will mention the arrest to the US Congress ahead of his meeting with top Republicans about Britain's free speech crisis

This section of the Act prohibits the use of words or written material which seek to stir up hatred on religious and sexual grounds.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has confirmed he will mention the arrest to the US Congress ahead of his meeting with top Republicans about Britain's free speech crisis on Wednesday.

Mr Farage said: "The Graham Linehan case is yet another example of the war on freedom in the UK... Free speech is under assault and I am urging the USA to be vigilant."

In written evidence set to be showed to Congress seen by The Sun, Mr Farage will also say that Britain has slid into an "illiberal and authoritarian censorship regime".

In a meeting last month, US Vice President JD Vance told Foreign Secretary David Lammy that Western governments had become “too comfortable with censoring”, rather than debating conflicting opinions.

The Vice President also warned the Mr Lammy that Britain faces a "dark path" should the country continue on its current course.

The Metropolitan Police's statement on the arrest reads: "On Monday, September 1 at 1pm, officers arrested a man at Heathrow Airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight.

"The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X.

"After being taken to police custody, officers became concerned for his health and he was taken to hospital. His condition is neither life-threatening nor life-changing.

"He has now been bailed pending further investigation."