The Labour MP Stella Creasy believes police have given online trolls “the green light to target the children of politicians” after she was subject to a baseless complaint to social services. Creasy was investigated by her local council after it received a report from a troll who was trying to have her children taken away from her. A man, who went by the alias Lance Jones, contacted Waltham Forest council in east London to complain that the MP’s “extreme views” would damage her children and they should be removed from her care, the Times reported. The Walthamstow MP has been a prominent campaigner on misogyny, violence against women, and her right to be allowed to bring her breastfeeding baby into parliament with her. The perpetrator had no personal connection to Creasy or her two young children. The council’s panel – which includes experts from agencies such as social services, police and local schools – carried out a safeguarding review in November. The complaint was quickly dismissed as vexatious, and the panel contacted Creasy out of concern that Jones may present a risk to her family. Parliamentary police investigated, Creasy said, but when it was found the man lived in Leicestershire the case was passed to his local force. The MP told the Guardian: “Leicestershire police, in their infinite wisdom, decided that this man was entitled – was the word they used – to raise concerns about my views. “So they were very clear, because I’ve never seen the actual original complaint he made, it was entirely about my views and the risk to my children of me having what he considered to be extreme views and indeed what the police in Leicestershire said could be considered extreme views … ie being a feminist. “The consequence of it is that my kids now have a social services record because of this man’s belief that if you disagree with somebody, the thing you do is threaten to get their kids taken away.” When asked what she thought about the police response, the MP replied: “I think they’ve given the green light to targeting the children of politicians if you don’t agree with them.” The council is not legally able to expunge the complaint about Creasy from its record, but the Times reported (subscription) that the file had been marked to make clear it was baseless. When Jones was referred to police over harassment concerns he was found to have sent a series of emails about Creasy’s “man-hating agenda” to her office, as well as to other prominent women. Leicestershire police, however, told Creasy her harasser was “legally entitled to express concerns to social care”. They said Jones’s emails, while upsetting and distressing, contained “no direct verbal or physical threat”. A detective inspector had reviewed the case, but it did not meet the threshold for criminal charges, the force said. Sgt Ryan Coleman was reported to have told Creasy that “although not worded in the best manner, it does appear to be a member of the public raising concerns about your views as an elected representative of the people”. “The victim is entitled to a view and to express it, albeit accepted this was misguided and has caused upset,” he wrote. “You are in the public eye due to the nature of your role so should be expected to be challenged and expect your views to be taken positively and negatively.” When police spoke to Jones, who has mental health issues, and ordered him to stop contacting Creasy, he was reportedly apologetic. He was given a community resolution involving an informal warning – which does not appear on a criminal record or the police national computer – rather than a criminal caution. ر