Share

Soccer fan arrested for tweet

London - A man has been arrested in connection with racist Twitter messages sent to West Ham United footballer Carlton Cole, Essex Police confirmed on Sunday.

The 22-year-old man from Southend, Essex, wrote two posts on Saturday following West Ham's 3-0 Premier League defeat at Swansea City.

The tweets questioned Cole's performance and used a racist term to describe him. The 28-year-old forward retweeted the comments from his @CarltonCole1 account.

Essex Police said on their own Twitter account: "Police have arrested a 22 year old from Southend following tweets to @carltoncole1. Investigation ongoing."

An Essex police spokesperson told Reuters: "The man has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following tweets sent to Carlton Cole."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1118 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1284 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 1981 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE