Immediate Action from Hampshire Police Regarding the “Name & Shame Portsmouth” Page

 

For years, the social media page known as “Name & Shame Portsmouth”, operated by Tom Millard, has been responsible for a sustained pattern of alleged abuse, harassment, false accusations and targeted attacks against individuals across Portsmouth and the wider south coast.

 

The page has operated largely through anonymity and, it is widely believed, through the use of numerous fake accounts to amplify accusations and target individuals. Over time, many innocent people including vulnerable adults and young people have found themselves publicly accused, humiliated and vilified without evidence or due process.

 

The real world consequences have been devastating.

 

Some individuals have reportedly attempted suicide following online targeting. Others have lost their employment. Many have suffered serious mental health impacts, experienced intimidation, or felt forced to move home for their own safety. Families have been affected. Reputations have been destroyed overnight.

 

In one particularly serious case, an individual who was found Not Guilty of serious criminal charges by a court of law was nevertheless publicly labelled a criminal on the page. His photograph, name and location were shared, placing him at risk despite a lawful acquittal. When courts or police decisions do not align with the page’s narrative, they are dismissed as corrupt or ineffective, further undermining public trust in justice.

 

There are also multiple examples of innocent individuals having been framed or falsely implicated in criminal behaviour as part of online campaigns driven through the page. 

 

This is not accountability. This is vigilante style online targeting without due process, oversight or safeguards.

 

When individuals attempt to challenge or correct false claims, they are blocked, silenced and unable to defend themselves. Meanwhile, many victims report that complaints made to Hampshire Police have been dismissed as civil matters or have not led to meaningful investigation despite a series of long term impacts and patterns of behaviour that have had real world consequences. 

 

Online abuse is not “just social media”.

It has real world consequences.

It can destroy lives.

 

Unchecked vigilante pages create serious risks to public safety:

 

• They inflame tensions and encourage mob mentality

• They undermine trust in police and courts

• They risk inciting harassment or violence against innocent people

• They bypass due process and the rule of law

• They expose vulnerable individuals to harm

 

We therefore call for the following:

 1. Hampshire Police to immediately review all criminal complaints relating to the “Name & Shame Portsmouth” page and take coordinated, collective action on behalf of all victims where offences may have been committed.

 2. The Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, to publicly assure residents that these allegations will be properly investigated, to commission a review into how multiple complaints over several years have been handled, and to publish a transparent report outlining findings and next steps.

 3. Dame Caroline Dineage MP, as Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, to examine the wider dangers posed by unregulated anonymous social media accounts and consider whether stronger legislative protections are required to protect victims from coordinated anonymous harassment, using this case as a study of the risks involved.

 

No one is above the law.

Not anonymous accounts.

Not online vigilantes.

 

Justice must apply equally online and offline.

 

We stand with the victims.

We demand accountability.

We demand action.