Jeremy Vine ‘disgusted’ by Twitter’s failure to shut down stalker Alex Belfield’s account
Jeremy Vine has accused YouTube and Twitter of failing to act against hate accounts after his jailed stalker promised he would soon be back online.
Vine claimed that social media companies “don’t give a toss” about the content they host.
He spoke out after Alex Belfield was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for stalking him and three others via the internet.
The trial heard that Belfield repeatedly posted abusive videos on his YouTube channel. The most recent video, posted on the day of his sentencing, is captioned: “Back soon.”
Twitter continues to allow Belfield to post on his Twitter account.
Speaking to BBC Two’s Newsnight programme, Vine said: “The fact that YouTube hosts this stuff - they have no responsibility. They don’t care. They don’t give a toss.
“Sorry for my language, but I am disgusted by their lack of values. And Twitter as well - he’s in prison and he’s still got a Twitter account. What the hell is that about? I don’t understand it.”
Vine said YouTube had failed to take down Belfield’s channel despite “constant” pleas from his victims, some of whom had been driven to suicidal thoughts by Belfield’s behaviour.
“That is not to be taken lightly. I think if the courts hadn’t stopped Alex Belfield, somebody would have died,” said Vine.
