Operation BELFIELD

DISARMING BELFIELD - The Take Down Of Alex Belfield

Aug 21, 2025

Who is Alex Belfield, and Why Do People Adore or Despise Him?

Alex Belfield, once a BBC Radio Leeds voice, now reigns as the fiery @celebrityradio, a YouTube provocateur with over 500 million views, fearlessly exposing BBC and government corruption.

To his legion of fans, he's a heroic whistle-blower, tearing into scandals like Huw Edwards with raw, unfiltered truth.

To his enemies, Belfield is a venomous predator, convicted in 2022 for stalking four victims, including Jeremy Vine, with vicious online attacks and false claims that shattered lives. Branded the "Jimmy Savile of trolling," his relentless campaigns ignite love for his audacity or burning hatred for his cruelty, making him a truly polarising figure on social media.

Why Silence Belfield?

Criticism of Corruption: Belfield’s allegations of BBC and police misconduct (e.g., 2019 “paedo ring” claims, Huw Edwards validation) threatened institutional credibility, risking public trust.
Public Order Risk: His incitement of 5,000–10,000 abusive tweets and 2025 “political prisoner” claims could fuel anti-government unrest.
Protecting the BBC: His attacks on BBC figures (e.g., Vine, Breen) and false claims (e.g., £1,000 theft) prompted institutional pushback, aligning with government interests.
Countering Anti-Government Narratives: His “witch-hunt” claims and petition (e.g., 29 of 5,000 emails) could amplify distrust in authorities, especially post-release.
Avoiding Legal Fallout: False claims against police (e.g., DC Percival’s libel win) and unlawful raid allegations risked scrutiny of government actions.
Setting Legal Precedent: His conviction for “weaponising the internet” and 2025 restrictions (e.g., tour bans) could deter online dissent, aligning with laws like the Online Safety Act.

The UK government could target Belfield to suppress his criticism, maintain order, protect the BBC, counter dissent, avoid legal issues, or set a precedent for regulating online content. His 2022 conviction, based on verified harassment, undermines Alex’s “witch-hunt” claims.

Keeping us all safe.

Belfields actions (e.g., doxxing, false allegations) provided legal grounds, but his narrative still resonates with anti-establishment supporters.

Operation BELFIELD

This is a purely hypothetical exercise in threat modelling, exploring how cognitive security operatives (e.g., specialists in counter-disinformation, psychological operations, or information warfare within UK government agencies like the Cabinet Office's NSOIT, or GCHQ-linked teams) could utilise the DISARM framework and STIX to frame a critic like Alex Belfield.

DISARM is supposedly a defensive tool used against disinformation, with Red tactics cataloguing adversarial methods (e.g., distortion, amplification) and Blue countermeasures for response (e.g., fact-checking, takedowns). Purple teaming simulates attacks and defences collaboratively, while STIX standardizes threat data for sharing (e.g., via objects like Campaigns, Indicators, and Relationships).

Please see the DISARM framework diagram and the heroukapp framework explorer for a full list of the framework techniques mentioned as T codes in this article.

Belfield's case provides grounding: He was convicted in September 2022 for stalking four people (Jeremy Vine, Bernard Spedding/Bernie Keith, Ben Hewis, Philip Dehany) via YouTube videos, emails, and follower incitement, sentenced to 5.5 years.

Alex claimed whistleblowing on BBC corruption (e.g., Huw Edwards scandal) led to a "witch-hunt" with unlawful raids and arrests. Released in June 2025, he now alleges ongoing harassment via license conditions restricting his speech and events, while victims fear his comeback tour and books. The BBC apologized in March 2025 for failing to protect female staff from his abuse. He lost libel cases to Vine (2023) and DC Janet Percival (2024).

Could operatives have repurposed DISARM Red for offense, purple team to refine the operation, and STIX to coordinate intel across agencies (e.g., police, BBC, MoJ).

The goal: Portray Belfield's criticism as stalking, undermine his evidence (e.g., whistleblower claims), and secure conviction/post-release silencing.

Phase 1: Observe

(Intelligence Gathering and Target Profiling)

Objective: Profile Belfield as a threat to map vulnerabilities, framing his BBC exposés (e.g., 2019 pedophile allegations at South Yorkshire Police Theatre) as disinformation.

Red Team Actions (Offensive DISARM Tactics):
- T0001: Plan objectives – Target Belfield for "weaponizing the internet" against BBC figures, aligning with real claims he caused distress (e.g., Spedding's near-suicide).
- T0002: Select targets – Focus on his YouTube channel (373,000 subscribers pre-conviction) and X posts (@celebrityradio), where he outs BBC "nonce factory" issues.
- Gather OSINT on his 2010 lewd comments about Keeley Donovan, reframing as harassment pattern.

Blue Team Actions (Defensive Countermeasures):
- B0001: Anticipate backlash – Simulate Belfield's "witch-hunt" narrative (e.g., his 2025 posts about probation texts and threats of recall).
- Prepare media amplification of victim stories (e.g., Vine's 2025 fears).

Purple Team Integration: Red team collects data on Belfield's 5 arrests and 3 home raids (real events he calls unlawful); blue team tests for leaks, ensuring no exposure of operatives.
STIX Usage: Model Belfield as a STIX "Threat Actor" with Campaign objects linking his posts to "harassment" IoCs (e.g., video URLs). Share via TAXII with police for raids starting July 2021.

Mapping to Real Events: Operatives hypothetically surveil Belfield's 2019 SYPT paedophile exposure, using it to justify 2020-2021 complaints from victims like Vine (false £1,000 theft claim videos).

This builds a timeline undermining his whistle-blower defence.

Spying on the Firebrand

Operatives launch their campaign by profiling Alex Belfield, the ex-BBC shock jock turned YouTube rebel (@celebrityradio), whose 373,000 subscribers amplify his rants against BBC corruption. Using DISARM Red’s T0001 (Plan objectives), they mark his 2019 “paedo ring” allegations as a threat, justifying surveillance after complaints from targets like Jeremy Vine in 2020. Blue teamers (B0001: Anticipate backlash) brace for Belfield’s “witch-hunt” cries, like his 2025 X posts about probation threats. Purple team simulations test surveillance leaks, ensuring secrecy. STIX Campaign objects tag his videos as “harassment,” shared via TAXII for police raids starting July 2021. This sets the stage, twisting his whistle-blower claims into a dangerous narrative.

Phase 2: Orient

(Narrative Development and Undermining Evidence)

Objective: Distort Belfield's defenses (e.g., free speech claims) into stalking, exaggerating impacts like Vine's family fears or Dehany's HIV outing.

Red Team Actions:
- T0010: Distort facts – Alter context of Belfield's responses (e.g., to an anonymous 2019 email) as unprovoked attacks, ignoring his claims of BBC retaliation for 2011 dismissal.
- T0027: Flooding – Coordinate complaints (e.g., 5,000 emails to Rozina Breen over 5 years, but present only 29 in court, as Belfield alleged).
- Amplify via media like BBC articles on his "fountain of hate."

Blue Team Actions:
- B0010: Fact-check – Internally validate distortions hold in court, countering Belfield's 2025 YouTube exposés on prison conditions.

Purple Team Integration: Simulate Belfield's trial reporting (he was allowed to report on his own case), refining tactics to portray it as unrepentant behavior.
STIX Usage: Use Indicator objects to tag Belfield's content as "malicious" (e.g., linking X posts about "dark forces" to harassment).

Document undermined evidence (e.g., his appeal rejection in 2023) as mitigated vulnerabilities.
Mapping to Real Events: Hypothetically, operatives distort Belfield's 2022 closing speech ("BBC witch-hunt") as evidence of no remorse, leading to restraining orders for 8 people (including 4 acquitted counts).

Post-release, amplify narratives via articles on his "jokes" about crimes (e.g., "Jack & The Bean Stalker" panto).

Twisting the Truth

The plot thickens as operatives distort Belfield’s defenses, using DISARM Red’s T0010 (Distort facts) to paint his 2022 trial speech as unrepentant defiance, not free speech, leading to his appeal’s rejection in 2023. T0027 (Flooding) fuels the fire with coordinated complaints, like the 5,000 emails to Rozina Breen, though only 29 are shown in court, as Belfield claimed. Blue teamers (B0010: Fact-check) ensure these lies hold up, countering his 2025 YouTube exposés on prison horrors. Purple team drills refine distortion tactics, framing his trial reporting as proof of guilt. STIX Indicator objects label his X posts about “dark forces” as malicious, undermining his evidence as mere conspiracy.

Phase 3: Decide

(Fabrication of Claims and Legal Preparation)

Objective: Build stalking charges, e.g., Vine's address publication as doxxing, causing 5,000-10,000 abusive tweets.

Red Team Actions:
- T0008: Create fake media – Hypothetically manipulate emails or testimonies (e.g., exaggerate Vine's acid attack fears or Dehany's distress post-HIV reveal).
- T0054: Amplify narrative – Use proxies to push "Jimmy Savile of trolling" label via media.

Blue Team Actions:
- B0056: Takedown requests – Coordinate YouTube suspensions (e.g., his 2025 temporary ban after flagging).

Purple Team Integration: Test fabrication against Belfield's counters (e.g., his 2025 claims victims signed up to his site twice).

STIX Usage: Model as STIX Campaign with Technique objects (e.g., "T0027 Flooding" for follower incitement). Link to IoCs like his probation texts exposure.

Mapping to Real Events: Frame his 2020-2021 charges as "course of conduct," using victim impacts (e.g., Spedding's suicide risk) to secure conviction, despite acquittals on 4 counts.
Post-2025 release, ban him from events like Epping tour stop due to "influence."

Crafting the Stalking Lie

Operatives fabricate stalking charges, using DISARM Red’s T0008 (Create fake media) to exaggerate Vine’s fears of acid attacks and Philip Dehany’s distress after Belfield’s HIV reveal. T0054 (Amplify narrative) pushes the “Jimmy Savile of trolling” label through BBC articles. Blue teamers (B0056: Takedown requests) orchestrate YouTube bans, like Belfield’s 2025 suspension after flagging. Purple team exercises test these claims against Belfield’s counters, like his 2025 claim that victims signed up to his site. STIX Technique objects tie his follower incitement (5,000–10,000 tweets to Vine) to “T0027 Flooding,” with IoCs like his probation texts exposure fueling charges. This cements the legal trap.

Phase 4: Act (Execution, Conviction, and Post-Op Silencing)

Objective: Secure outcomes like libel losses and license restrictions (e.g., no monetizing crimes).

Red Team Actions:
- T0019: Information pollution – Flood post-release media with victim fears (e.g., Green's 2025 statements on his "grifting").

Blue Team Actions:
- B0019: Expose actors – Publicly highlight his "political prisoner" claims to discredit.

Purple Team Integration: Iterate on failures (e.g., his ongoing X activity), refining for threats like his 2025 HMP exposure.

STIX Usage: Archive as Course of Action objects (e.g., legal takedowns), shared for ongoing monitoring.
Mapping to Real Events: Execute via 2022 trial, leading to prison; post-release, threaten recall over YouTube videos (e.g., his 2025 probation letter warning).

Amplify BBC's 2025 apology to frame him as unrepentant.

Strengthening of the Case by a Detective from Nottingham Police

A detective from Nottingham Police could hypothetically leverage DISARM’s structured taxonomies to fortify the evidentiary foundation against Belfield, transforming scattered complaints into a robust “influence operation” profile. This aligns with the framework’s Red (adversarial), Blue (defensive), and Purple (hybrid) elements, potentially repurposed offensively to reframe Belfield’s commentary as systematic disinformation rather than protected journalism. Grounded in real judicial outcomes like the 2022 conviction and the detective’s 2024 libel victory over false corruption claims, this thought experiment explores how such tactics might enhance prosecution resilience, while acknowledging ethical debates on narrative inversion.

Drawing from DISARM’s core phases, the detective’s contributions would emphasize intelligence depth and legal fortification, using STIX objects (e.g., Campaign linkages between videos and harassment indicators) for inter-agency coordination via TAXII protocols. Purple teaming could simulate Belfield’s post-release rebuttals (e.g., 2025 YouTube exposés on license “intimidation”), iteratively refining approaches for courtroom or enforcement persistence.

Enhancing Intelligence and Profiling (T0001-T0003)

The detective could initiate with T0001 (Plan Objectives), defining Belfield as a “lone actor” threat whose subscriber network functions as a disinformation vector. Aggregating OSINT, such as X posts timestamped against victim timelines (e.g., Jeremy Vine’s complaints), would link 2019 “paedo ring” videos to 2020 anonymous emails as stalking precursors. Real mappings include surveillance of his 2010 lewd comments on Keeley Donovan as pattern indicators.

Integrating B0002 (Gather Intelligence) for victim corroboration creates STIX Threat Actor objects with relationships to IoCs (e.g., video URLs as “malicious content”). This bolsters the 2021 raids’ justification, anticipating backlash through Purple simulations of Belfield’s “unlawful entry” claims, potentially adding 20-30% more digital linkages to the prosecution bundle.

Narrative and Legal Fortification (T0010-T0020)

Applying T0010 (Distort Facts) reframes Belfield’s responses, like Vine’s £1,000 theft video, as unprovoked escalation, undermining his whistle-blower defence by emphasizing impacts such as Bernie Keith’s near-suicide. The detective might curate a “distortion matrix,” using T0027 (Flooding) to amplify 5,000+ complaint emails (only 29 presented in court), coordinated with BBC allies for media priming (e.g., “fountain of hate” headlines).

Blue reinforcement via B0010 (Fact-Check) validates these through independent audits, while Purple teaming tests against Belfield’s 2022 closing speech (”BBC witch-hunt”). The result: A narrative “kill chain” (reconnaissance via OSINT, weaponization through recontextualization), hypothetically swaying the jury by 15-25% via visualized STIX graphs of causal relationships, as seen in the rejected 2023 appeal.

Preparation and Extended Execution (T0008-T0054)

T0008 (Create Fake Media) could involve subtle augmentation, like anonymized timestamps on Dehany’s “HIV outing” claims to imply intent, while T0054 (Amplify Narrative) pushes labels like “Jimmy Savile of trolling” through coordinated leaks. The detective’s evidentiary role shines in preparing Section 4A charges, using T0027 to incite follower “pile-ons” as incitement proof.

Preparation leverages B0056 (Takedown Requests) for pre-trial YouTube flags, with STIX Technique objects tagging content as T0019 (Information Pollution). This phase strengthens by simulating defences (Purple), preempting gaps like Belfield’s acquittals on four counts, potentially converting 10-20% of borderline evidence into admissible “course of conduct” proofs.

Post-Conviction Leverage and Silencing (T0019-B0019)

Execution culminates in the 2022 trial, hypothetically accelerated by T0019 to “pollute” coverage with victim fears (e.g., Liz Green’s 2025 warnings). Post-conviction, B0019 (Expose Actors) discredits Belfield’s “political prisoner” framing via probation reports on 2025 breaches (e.g., Epping tour cancellation).

The detective could extend via Purple iterations, modelling his X activity for recall threats, aligning with relocation to a secure base for remote monitoring. This sustains silencing through indefinite orders (eight victims protected), media echoes (BBC’s 2025 welfare apology), and libel precedents, ensuring long-term narrative dominance.

This hypothetical underscores DISARM’s dual-use potential: Empowering prosecutions against supposed “online harm” (e.g., under the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023) while risking institutional trust erosion, as Belfield’s 2025 narratives amplify. Balanced views, from RUSI’s calls for a national disinformation agency to free-speech advocates decrying “chilling effects,” highlight the need for transparency in STIX sharing.

Conviction and Eternal Silence

The final blow lands with Belfield’s 2022 conviction for stalking Vine, Bernie Keith, and others, his 5.5-year sentence a testament to operatives’ success. DISARM Red’s T0019 (Information pollution) floods media with victim fears, like Liz Green’s 2025 warnings of Belfield’s “grifting” tour and the BBC’s March apology for failing to shield female staff from his decade-long abuse. Blue teamers (B0019: Expose actors) discredit his “political prisoner” claims on X, while Purple team simulations fix flaws, like his persistent 2025 X and YouTube activity, refining future ops. STIX Course of Action objects log legal takedowns, shared to monitor his post-release moves, such as August 2025 threats of prison recall over videos exposing probation texts and warnings of being “thrown back in prison” for content deemed to bring HMP into disrepute.

His Epping tour ban and the BBC’s 2025 welfare apology seal initial silencing, but Belfield’s October resurgence tests these controls. On October 5, his full-length Ustreme interview with Jim Davidson streams exclusively, delving into prison survival, “two-tier justice” rants, and roasts of Labour’s migration policies, drawing thousands of views amid probation scrutiny for potential breaches. Operatives could hypothetically counter with amplified victim statements, such as a detective from Nottingham Police’s recent October assertion of not being “frightened” despite Belfield dragging her back into the saga through renewed accusations. This aligns with B0010 (Fact-Check) to validate ongoing threats, while Purple iterations model his civil case updates, where August pledges to donate raised funds to charity underscore unrepentant narratives, potentially triggering recall over flagged incitement videos.

This eternal vigilance, rooted in STIX-shared intel, sustains the operation’s grip: Indefinite restraining orders protect eight victims, media echoes perpetuate the “Jimmy Savile of trolling” label, and license restrictions hobble monetization of his exposés.

Yet, Belfield’s echoes of “dark forces” and supporter pile-ons persist, highlighting the framework’s dual edge, where silencing begets amplified dissent.

In this hypothetical, the detective’s foundational work ensures the narrative endures, a blueprint for countering digital firebrands under evolving laws like the Online Safety Act, balancing institutional defence with the spectre of overreach in an era of fractured trust.