A journalist has received an apology from Northamptonshire Police after being issued with a harassment warning after approaching a councillor for comment.
Sarah Ward, editor of Substack-based local news outlet NN Journal, published four articles in February 2025 about a former member of North Northamptonshire Council.
The first, published on 6 February, detailed councillor Matt Binley’s expulsion from the North Northamptonshire Conservative Group, over “historic allegations” which the journalist put to him but did not publish. Binley remained an independent councillor.
Before publishing, Ward contacted Binley via phone and email. Binley provided a comment to Ward via email confirming the expulsion, and stated he will not be commenting further on “these historic closed allegations”.
He added that if “misleading claims are published”, he would “take appropriate legal action” to protect his reputation.
On 12 February, Ward contacted Binley to request a comment on allegations relating back to 2009 when he served as a police officer.
Binley responded: “The matter relates to historic allegations from 16 years ago. These allegations were fully investigated by the appropriate authorities at the time. Following a comprehensive investigation, the matter was concluded with no further action taken. There is no ongoing investigation. Therefore, I will not be commenting further on these historic closed allegations.”
Request for comment ‘not a legitimate request’
On 14 February, Ward reported that North Northamptonshire council leader Jason Smithers had reported Binley to the police for an alleged criminal admission, but did not report the alleged crimes until 19 February.
In the piece, Northamptonshire Police provided a comment confirming “Binley was the subject of police investigations in 2009”, and saying that the matter would “not face re-investigation by the police, due to the criminal admission not being deemed to be new evidence”.
Following the publication of this article, Binley emailed Ward on 25 February stating: “I have nothing further to add to this matter that hasn’t already been provided in previous statements and the request for a comment is on nothing materially new that hasn’t already been covered; therefore, I do not deem this to be a legitimate request and would amount to harassment.
“Respectfully, your repeated and persistent attempts to contact me, despite clear indications that I have provided my statement, constitute a breach of Clause 3 of the Editors’ Code of Practice:
(i) Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.
(ii) They must not persist in questioning, telephoning, pursuing or photographing individuals once asked to desist.
“I have made it clear that I will not comment beyond my official statement. Continuing to contact me, either directly or through third parties, is intrusive and unjustified. I request that you immediately cease further attempts to contact me regarding this matter, or I will escalate this as a formal police complaint under harassment.”
Police ‘very clearly’ gave harassment warning
Later that day, Ward published the news that a petition had been launched calling for Binley’s resignation and a police investigation, and that the Northamptonshire police, fire and crime commissioner asked for anyone with new information to come forward.
Ward responded to Binley’s email: “This is not harassment (and would not stand up in any legal action) but rather giving yourself a right to reply, as this is a new article concerning yourself.
“If you do not want to be contacted about any future stories, then let me know and I will include a line in the story to explain that.”
Ward claimed to Press Gazette that Binley complained to the police of harassment in February, and followed up on the complaint in August. On 19 August, Ward was visited by a police officer at her home.
“A police officer came to my door and told me it was about Matt Binley,” Ward said.
“He said he’d spoken to Binley, then very clearly gave me a warning that he considered [my actions] to be harassment.
“He warned me if I contacted Binley again, I’d face arrest or prosecution. I said it’s ridiculous. I’m a journalist. I have to give him a right to reply, it’s not harassment.”
‘Used the police to threaten’ journalists
Ward contacted the Northamptonshire Police press office and spoke to a lawyer. On 20 August, she was visited by assistant chief constable Adam Ward and issued with an apology over the phone.
“He’s apologised and said he didn’t agree with the fact it happened, and that the officer should have taken it up to a senior officer,” Ward said. “He said there needs to be training across the force in how to deal with matters like this.
“When I said it looked like Matt Binley had used the police to threaten journalists he said: ‘I am incredibly sorry if that’s how you’ve taken it. I can only apologise from Northants Police, I don’t agree that a warning should have been given’.”
Ward said the attempts to contact Binley amounted to “three emails about four stories plus possibly three phone calls”.
She has also confirmed she is going to submit a formal complaint to the force.
Binley told the BBC that an officer who reviewed his claims said the incident “met the legal threshold for harassment”.
“This was due to the repeated attempts to contact me, including multiple unsolicited phone calls, texts and emails.
“I fully respect the importance of a free press, but freedom of the press does not mean freedom to act without limits or outside of the law.”
‘Learning’ for the officer and the wider Force
Northamptonshire Police assistant chief constable Adam Ward told Press Gazette: “I would like to apologise to [to Sarah]for the way this was handled. There is some learning for the officer who made the visit, but there is also some for the wider Force.
“We deployed an officer to the home of a journalist without considering whether this should have been escalated, at the very least to an inspector or chief inspector.
“A crime was recorded, as we are required to do when an allegation of an offence is made, but it was subsequently filed as no further action.”
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