Tommy Robinson post about hit and run incident contradicted by police

A viral post made by a page purportedly belonging to far-right UK activist Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) that claims a solider was run over by a Muslim during the early hours of New Year’s Day in a politically motivated attack has been contradicted by police.

The post accumulated many tens of thousands of shares within 24 hours and claimed a serving soldier was attacked by Muslims after they overheard a conversation in which the soldier was discussing a recent tour. Yaxley-Lennon’s post goes on to claim that when the soldier left a nightclub, a Muslim man got into his car and ran him over.

I have been informed by his family that this serving soldier was out celebrating the new year in Batley when he was overheard in conversation with his friend talking about his last tour. It is alleged that around 15 Muslim males took offence to him being a serving soldier, started intimidating him calling him scum. It escalated and he and his friend were set upon by 15 males. This young soldier tried to step away across the road to diffuse the situation. It is then alleged that one of the Muslim males got into his Mercedes and proceeded to mount the kerb and mow down the soldier at circa 50mph according to an eyewitness. The Soldier is in the intensive care at Leeds Hospital. According to individuals who were at the scene this was sparked over a conversation about him in the forces. If it is politically motivated due to him serving in the forces then should it not be treated as a terrorist attack? Ask yourself why this is not on any news channel?? My thoughts are with this young man’s family who have been in contact with me to inform me of the details and asked me to share. I hope he can recover from what would appear to be potentially another politically motivated attack. a go fund me page has been set up for the soldier

The post has attracted hundreds of comments that claim the incident was terror related or a hate crime, with many questioning why the incident hasn’t been on the mainstream televised news.

While the post does refer to a genuine incident in which a man was run over during New Year’s outside a club in Batley, police have contradicted many of the pertinent claims made in the post.

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Chief Inspector Ben Ryder of West Yorkshire Police said…

We would like to reassure service personnel that police have no evidence that the victim has been targeted due to his service in the army, or that it is motivated by racism.
…We remain open-minded and would urge anyone who witnessed the incident or has any further information to come forward to assist with our investigation.

Police have also stated they have made an arrest following the incident.

Incidentally, claims that such incidents are downgraded, or “swept under the carpet” or hidden from public view are demonstrably false. On the same evening, the stabbing of three people in Manchester was indeed treated as a terror related attack and was consequently given plenty of mainstream media attention.