Far-right activist Tommy Robinson claims he was detained by police at Heathrow airport under counter-terrorism laws.
The 43-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, said he had both of his phones seized after being stopped under section 3 of the Counter-Terrorism Border Security Act 2019.
In a post on social media, Robinson shared photos of documents relating to his detention and claimed he had been detained for almost three hours, with his iPhone and Samsung Galaxy taken.
He also asked his supporters to donate money to support his legal defence.
A spokesperson for Robinson posted on X: “They likely want to see who he is talking to, and maybe find out who his sources are… This is an attack on free speech, this is an attack on investigative journalism, nothing more nothing less.”
The reason for his detention is not yet known.
Under the 2019 act, police officers can stop, question, search and detain people who they suspect of travelling with the intention to plan and carry out hostile acts.
Robinson has made headlines in recent weeks following unrest in Southampton after the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak, and has been accused of fuelling racial tensions in Belfast this week.
He shared a graphic video of a Sudanese suspect wielding a knife over a man during an attempted murder on Monday, and shared lists of planned demonstrations across the UK.
This post was shared by tech trillionaire Elon Musk, who reposted it to his 240 million followers on X.
Robinson repeatedly posted on X about the unfolding disorder, saying “foreign businesses are being destroyed in Belfast” and that homes suspected of housing asylum seekers “are getting trashed by angry locals”.
He was previously cleared of a terror charge in 2024, after he refused to give police officers the pin to his phone during a stop and search while at the Channel tunnel in Folkestone.
A district judge concluded he could not be sure the police stop was lawful.
The Met Police and Heathrow Airport have been approached for comment.
