DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has called on social media companies to “do more” after one of his MPs was subjected to “appalling abuse”.
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart was targeted after she appeared on the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme.
The abuse was also condemned by UUP leader Doug Beattie as “appalling”, and he urged Twitter to deal with “anonymous troll and hate accounts”.
Ms Lockhart issued a tweet earlier where she accused those targeting her as having lost their argument.
“Predictably, when I stand up for my community, faceless trolls use it as their daily reason to abuse me,” she said.
“Not on my politics, which they may not agree with, but on their perception of how I look. When you do down that route, you’ve lost your argument, and I will still be here.”
Sir Jeffrey said Ms Lockhart had recently been through a difficult time following a family bereavement.
“She’s only getting back into the full swing of work again, and to receive the level of abuse that Carla received over the weekend is utterly appalling,” he told BBC Radio Ulster.
“I would say to those, particularly Irish Republicans who seem to target female unionist public representatives, there is a pattern here, a very clear pattern that we have observed and monitored.
“I would say to them, if you want to have respect for your argument and your point of view and your aspirations, then it is time to stop disrespecting unionists and particularly female unionist representatives who you target in the most cowardly and defensive way.
“It is wrong, it should stop and frankly social media and Twitter in particular should do more to protect people who are doing their job, trying to represent the community and subject to the most vile abuse at times online.”
