Boris Johnson blasts Labour for ‘freeing paedophiles from jail while locking up social media numbskulls’

BORIS Johnson blasted the Government for “freeing paedophiles from jail while locking up numbskulls who say stupid stuff on Twitter”.

The former PM called for tougher sentences for sex offenders like ex-BBC newsreader Huw Edwards.

Peter Jordan

Boris Johnson blasted the Labour Government for ‘freeing paedophiles from jail while locking up Twitter numbskulls’[/caption]

Dan Charity

The former PM called for tougher sentences for sex offenders like ex-BBC newsreader Huw Edwards[/caption]

He said: “What they’re doing is feeding a trade that dehumanises and gravely, gravely injures the most vulnerable people.”

Asked on Never Mind The Ballots if he believed there is two-tier policing in this country, Mr Johnson said: “I certainly think people need to look at some of the priorities.”

Labour releasing criminals to ease prison overcrowding was “not the right thing to do”.

He went on: “Particularly if you are then banging up people, nutters, for saying the odd thing on Twitter. Those do not seem to be the right priorities for the criminal justice system.”

Last month experts blasted the “ludicrous” decision to let Huw Edwards dodge jail and raised concerns over “two tier justice” in the courts.

Edwards had avoided jail at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and was given a six month suspended sentence for two years.

Kemi Bedenoch also blasted Edwards avoiding jail as “two tier” justice – and called for an urgent overhaul of sentencing rules.

Jim Gamble, the former head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command Centre within the National Crime Agency, has also slammed at the sentencing after widespread outrage.

Speaking to Aasmah Mir and Stig Abell he said: “If Edwards came around to your house tonight and said, look, I tell you what, you go on out to the cinema tonight and I’ll look after your young children, would you let him? Because that’s the question. 

“You know, if you’re not going to let him babysit for your children, why would you let him engage or look after anyone else’s children? So I think it’s time we woke up to this.

“These aren’t some kind of abstract image. They’re images of children being brutalised and raped.”