Some new light, perhaps, on the dreaded Controversial Stickers in Kirkcaldy:

Kirkcaldy Police said – in a now deleted tweet – there was a report of a hate crime involving “controversial” stickers on lampposts in Viewforth Avenue on Monday May 17, and asked people to contact Fife Council so they could be removed.

Which, by the way, makes no sense. The police had already been told about the stickers, so why “ask people to contact Fife Council so that they could be removed”? Why not just go right on ahead and remove them themselves, without any further tattling from “people”?

However, officers have since said that no criminality was established following inquiries.

Why wasn’t that blindingly obvious to them from the outset?

The stickers promote the group For Women Scotland (FWS) and displayed hashtags including #waronwomen, #sexnotgender and #nopubertyblockers.

Susan Smith, director of For Women Scotland said the organisation, which was founded in 2018, did not produce or distribute the stickers.

It was probably Alger Hiss then.

Ms Smith said on Sunday: “For Women Scotland do not produce stickers, however, we know that many people express support for us and other women’s groups and we are very grateful.

“The images we have seen are of stickers which express the sentiment that women will not remain silent in conversations about our bodies or our rights.

“The idea that this is ‘controversial’ or requires investigation by the police is chilling.”

It comes after MSPs approved a new hate crime bill earlier this year.

It was created to simplify and clarify the law by bringing together various existing hate crime laws into a single piece of legislation.

Under the bill, offences are considered “aggravated” if they involve prejudice on the basis of age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

But not, I point out for the millionth time, sex. Offences are considered “aggravated” if they involve prejudice on the basis of transgender identity, but not if they involve prejudice on the basis of sex. Transgender identity matters, being female doesn’t.