This round-up of claims has been compiled by Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact checking charity which works to give people access to reliable information they can trust.
What are the rules on freeing dogs in hot cars?
Widely shared Facebook posts claim “police are now saying” you would not be charged with criminal damage for smashing a window to rescue a dog from a hot car, provided you take a picture and record the temperature beforehand.
But that isn’t the official advice from the police. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says there are some situations in which you may consider breaking into a car to free a dog, but doing so could still legally be classed as criminal damage.
One of the posts we’ve seen which has been shared more than 14,000 times says: “The police are now saying if you see a dog locked in a car in hot weather, take a picture of the dog and the car.
“If someone is with you, get them to bring up the weather for your area on their phone so you can screenshot the temp, THEN break the car window. This way, you will not be charged with criminal damage and it gives the police photo evidence to take the dog owners to court.”
But a spokesperson for the NPCC told Full Fact that “legally, breaking into a vehicle could be classed as criminal damage”, and that you should immediately call 999 and ask for the police if you see a dog in a hot car showing signs of heatstroke.
The spokesperson added: “If the dog’s condition is critical and the police haven’t arrived yet, you may consider breaking into the car to free them but it is important you tell the police what you intend to do and why, as well as taking photos or videos if possible.”
The spokesperson went on to say that if you did break a car window in these circumstances, you may be required to defend your actions, proving that your decision was reasonable and that you believed the owner would consent if they were present.
They recommended: “If there are other witnesses, take their details as they may be able to help support you in showing that your actions were necessary under the circumstances”.
The Criminal Damage Act 1971 (which applies in England and Wales) says that a person charged with criminal damage might be deemed to have a “lawful excuse” if at the time of the offence they believed the person who was entitled to consent to the destruction or damage of the property (in this situation, the owner of the car) would have consented to the damage if they had known of the circumstances.
The RSPCA also recommends calling 999 and telling the police if you intend to break into a car to rescue a dog. You can find more information on recognising the signs of heat stroke in dogs on its website. The NPCC said police have powers to break into a vehicle to prevent animal suffering.
Viral quote attributed to Harry Kane isn’t real
Posts falsely claiming that the England football captain Harry Kane said he wouldn’t wear a rainbow LGBT pride symbol in upcoming matches have been going viral online.
The posts, which have been circulating widely on Facebook, all feature the same wording which includes an alleged quote from the striker, claiming he said: “Football should be about what happens on the pitch—competitive spirit, player performance, and match results—not political or social movements.”
They also say that he has “confirmed that he will not wear the LGBT rainbow symbol in upcoming matches”.
But this isn’t true, and the quote attributed to Kane isn’t real.
When we contacted the Football Association (FA) about the claims, it told us the quote was fake. And we couldn’t find any evidence that Kane had ever made these comments, with no matching statement published on his social media platforms, or reported by credible media outlets.
Kane has previously said he was “proud” to wear the rainbow-coloured LGBTQ+ captain’s armband during the Euros tournament in 2021. It was also reported that he had wanted to wear the ‘OneLove’ rainbow armband at the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022, and was “disappointed” when FIFA banned it.
Before sharing content like this that you come across on social media, it’s important to consider whether it comes from trustworthy and verifiable sources. Our Full Fact misinformation toolkit can help you do this.
