Kent Police have come under fire from Twitter users after they arrested a man who posting a picture of a burning a poppy on Remembrance Sunday.
The move was greeted with outrage by members of social media sites, who claim that it is heavy-handed at best, with as many as nine in every ten of those commenting pointing out that burning the flower, in and of itself, does not constitute a crime.
One lawyer, David Allen Green, tweeted: “burning a poppy may be obnoxious but it is not a criminal offence,” adding his voice to a volley of criticism directed at police.
Kent Police digressed from that view however, claiming on the Force website that the individual had been arrested “on suspicion of malicious telecommunications.”