Cheshire Constabulary Chief Constable Mark Roberts condemned the racist abuse directed at England footballer Jess Carter, calling it appalling and emphasizing that such hate will not be tolerated, while praising Carter's resilience.

Police officials, including Roberts and Constable Dan Fish, pledged to pursue offenders and prevent further hate speech, reaffirming their commitment to tackling online abuse.

A 59-year-old man from Great Harwood was arrested in Lancashire in connection with sending racist and abusive messages to Jess Carter during the Women's Euros in July, and he has been released under investigation as police continue inquiries.

The UK football policing unit, working with social media companies, launched an investigation into the abusive messages after reports were received, aiming to identify those responsible.

Carter described the psychological toll of the abuse, including feelings of worthlessness and fear, and shared that her family was also devastated by the harassment.

Carter condemned the racial abuse publicly and announced she would step back from social media to protect her mental health.

Police described the messages as 'appalling' and indicated that the arrest is likely the first of many in ongoing efforts to combat online hate.

In solidarity, the England team chose not to take the knee before their semi-final against Italy as a statement against racism, supporting Carter.

The suspect, suspected of malicious communications, has been released under investigation, with police continuing their inquiries and emphasizing that hate speech will be relentlessly pursued.

Lancashire police reaffirmed their commitment to tackling hate in all forms, stating that offenders will be pursued regardless of how long it takes, and police officials pledged ongoing efforts to identify those responsible.

The Football Association confirmed it contacted UK police immediately upon learning of the abuse and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.