Police end investigation into Bob Phelan’s chants at the Israeli army at Glastonbury Bob Phelan

The investigation into rap duo Bob Phelan’s chants at the Glastonbury festival will not lead to any further action by prosecutors, as there is “insufficient” evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, police have said.

Bobby Phelan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, led the crowd at the festival’s West Holts stage in chants of “Death, death to the IDF,” a reference to the Israel Defense Forces, during their show in June.

Shortly afterwards, Avon and Somerset Police said a criminal investigation was underway, and a senior detective had been appointed to lead it.

Last month, a man in his mid-30s was interviewed under caution regarding comments made on stage. He was not officially arrested. The force did not name the person interviewed and was informed of the outcome on Tuesday.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a statement: “No further action will be taken on the basis that there is insufficient evidence to have a realistic prospect of conviction.”

She added: “The comments made on Saturday 28 June sparked widespread outrage, proving that words have real-world consequences.

“We believe it is right that this matter be thoroughly investigated, that every potential criminal offense is carefully considered and we have sought all possible advice to ensure an informed decision is made.”

The force shared details of its initial investigations with the CPS in July and sought legal advice on a number of offences.

A CPS spokesman said: “We recognize the strength of public feeling towards the comments made during Bob Phelan’s set at Glastonbury Festival in June, particularly among the Jewish community.

“We provided early investigative advice to Avon and Somerset Police about what evidence might be required to meet the legal test to charge, but we were not asked to make a charging decision in this case.

“A number of offenses were considered, each of which had evidentiary requirements to be proven, but Avon and Somerset Police concluded that there was insufficient evidence for there to be any realistic prospect of conviction and will take no further action.”

In response to the decision, the Community Security Trust, a charity that provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, said: “It is extremely disappointing that the police and CPS have decided not to press charges in this case, especially when police forces in London and Manchester are adopting a stronger approach to tackling hate speech.

“It sends exactly the wrong message at the worst possible time.”

The Metropolitan Police said last month that it would close its own investigation into Bob Phelan’s May concert at Alexandra Palace in north London, following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.

In September, the BBC partly upheld complaints over its decision to broadcast the punk duo’s performance at Glastonbury.