Hertfordshire Police have been told to reinvestigate the death of Scott Gough, a 56-year-old car dealership executive who died by suicide in March 2024 after an alleged blackmail attempt linked to Grindr. A professional standards report found failures in the original inquiry and said police may have been wrong not to treat the case as suspected blackmail, raising wider concerns about how LGBTQ+ victims are handled.

Gough died a day after six men reportedly came to his home demanding the keys to his Range Rover and leaving a note with a phone number. The report found reasonable grounds to suspect blackmail, noting links to at least four other alleged Grindr-related cases involving the same group, and criticised missed evidence-gathering opportunities and delays in handling his partner Cameron Tewson’s complaint. His allegation of homophobia was not upheld, while the force said it was considering whether a separate department or neighbouring force should conduct the review.