A Croydon Advertiser reporter has been given permission to take his fight against a police harassment notice to a judicial review.
Gareth Davies is seeking to overturn a decision from the Independent Police Complaints Commission which said the Metropolitan Police was right to issue him with a Prevention of Harassment Letter.
Davies doorstepped convicted fraudster Neelam Desai once and sent her two emails over claims she had conned people out of thousands of pounds. She complained to the police and in March 2014 three officers visited Davies at work and warned him that he could be arrested if he contacted her again.
In June this year the IPCC rejected a complaint, with a caseworker saying: "I am of the opinion the evidence shows the harassment warning was issued in order to bring to your attention the fact that your approaches to Ms Desai were considered to have gone beyond a reasonable course of conduct."
Nearly 2,000 people have a signed a Press Gazette petition urging the Met Police to rescind the harassment warning issued against Davies.
The warning was issued against Davies after Desai made repeated calls to officers. He fears it could show up on his police record in future.
The Met Police and IPCC must now provide a detailed response within 35 days.
The case was brought by Croydon Advertiser publisher Local World (now part of Trinity Mirror).
The Croydon Advertiser reports that Mr Justice Picken, of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, ruled the claim is arguable.
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