Swindon MPs have been speaking out against abuse targeted at them and their peers.

Justin Tomlinson revealed that he has repeatedly had negative interactions on social media whilst his offices at the Orbital Shopping Park have also been targeted by upsetting demonstrations.

Previously, Robert Buckland has experienced an increase in social media abuse since becoming MP but believes things should be handled by the authorities.

The comments come after fellow members have revealed the threats on themselves after the BBC contacted a number of MPs earlier this year, with 172 of the 650 responding.

Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon, said: “I am proud to be a fellow local resident and I actively encourage residents to chat with me, either formally in a one to one meeting or informally when I am out and about.

“This is a vital part of our democracy as we should share and understand the issues, concerns and ideas.

“Thankfully it is very rare that people are anything other than friendly and polite, even when a resident has strongly held views.

“However, I am afraid Corbyn’s new hard-left political supporters are relentlessly nasty and negative on social media and now think it is appropriate to target my office with demonstrations, upsetting residents with genuine issues.

“This is unacceptable when they simply could just meet me one to one to personally discuss their views.

“Whilst their abuse does not bother me personally, it is unfair on local residents and does put better people than me off politics

“We should never allow politicians to not be able to be part of the community.”

South Swindon MP and Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, added: “I would encourage MPs and others in public life to report to the police threats to life and safety that go well beyond vigorous freedom of speech.

“We have seen a number of successful prosecutions for criminal behaviour against MPs, including one in the last week or so, which I hope will send a message that online or offline criminal behaviour is not acceptable.

“I think that women MPs receive more abuse and threats of a sexual nature that are just appalling.”

The findings from the BBC also found that Conservative MPs, on average, attracted significantly more abuse than Labour.

Sexist abuse was also more prevalent, as compared with homophobia or racism.

Nationally, SNP MP Dr Lisa Cameron has said she started to receive death threats and images of decapitated bodies soon after she was elected in 2015 whilst Conservative MP Scott Mann had received threats to mail bomb his office.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, suggested that the BBC’s reportings were the tip of the iceberg and that the number of complaints from MPs to the Consultative Panel on Parliament Security, which he chairs, reached the same level in the first six weeks of 2019 as they used to see in a year.