No action over Barton tweets (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

No action over Barton tweets

4:48pm Monday 6th February 2012 in National Sport News © Press Association 2011

Joey Barton will not face any legal action over his pointed observations about the John Terry racism case.

In the aftermath of Terry being stripped of the England captaincy by the FA on Friday, Barton made a succession of robust comments on Twitter. Although Barton defended them on the grounds of free speech, others felt he was dangerously close to being in contempt of court, something that has yet to be applied to comments made on Twitter.

However, the Attorney General's office confirmed on Monday the QPR midfielder is in the clear, while warning of the dangers of committing contempt in the Terry case, which is due before Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 9. Terry has always denied racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

A statement released by the Attorney General's office read: "Between February 3-5, Twitter exchanges on Joey Barton's page which related to the forthcoming trial of John Terry were brought to the attention of the Attorney General's office.

"They have been considered in relation to any possible contempt of court they could create. In this instance the Attorney has decided no action is necessary."

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said: "Although in this instance no action will be taken, we would like to remind those who publish material that proceedings for the John Terry trial are active.

"Any discussion of a live court case has the potential to interfere with its proper course."