Wings Over Scotland blogger arrested over '˜online harassment'

Police arrested Stuart Campbell after a woman came forward alleging she was the victim of a two-year campaign of online abuse.

49-year-old Campbell has been a prominent online campaigner for Scottish independence and runs the Wings Over Scotland website.

The Herald reported on Tuesday that he was arrested last Friday by police in the Avon and Somerset area ‘on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications’ after a woman in her 30s made a complaint at a south London police station. He was bailed pending further enquiries.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “On 18 August a man aged in his 40s was arrested at an address in the Avon and Somerset area on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications.

“He has been bailed pending further enquiries to a date in mid-September. Enquiries continue.”

Campbell tweeted on Friday: “For sucky reasons totally outwith my control (don’t ask), posts on Wings will be very sparse for an unknown period. Sorry, folks.”

In a statement posted on the Wings Over Scotland website on Monday evening responding to The Herald’s story, Campbell said: “The piece by Tom Gordon has been written for maximum innuendo to allow the wildest speculations on social media – which are of course duly taking place – but the alleged events relate entirely to some tweets from our Twitter account, none of which have been deleted and all of which are still publicly visible.

“Nothing more sinister or serious than some tweets has occurred or been alleged to have occurred. That’s all we’ll be saying on the subject at this time.”

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign, Campbell published and distributed thousands of copies of the Wee Blue Book which he claimed presented “the facts the papers leave out” in regards to independence.

His pro-independence website Wings Over Scotland monitors the Scottish media, giving commentary and analysis.

Stirling-born Campbell is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale who he is suing for defamation after she accused him of homophobia, an accusation he has denied.