TWITTER users could be arrested for “unfriendly” tweets because of a clumsy crackdown on hate crime, lawyers warn.

The Crown Prosecution Service has ruled hate crimes on social media must be taken as seriously as offline offences.

3 Sending an offensive tweet could land you in the dock under new guidance

But lawyers say the official definition of what constitutes an online hate crime is so wide that outspoken social media users could end up hauled into court.

CPS guidance says hate crimes must be motivated by hostility such as “ill-will, spite, contempt, prejudice, unfriendliness, antagonism, resentment and dislike”.

But free speech lawyer Myles Jackman, of the Open Rights Group, said: “It’s incredibly clumsy guidance and a strict interpretation is chilling.

“Robust discourse in a civilised society is essential and means people sometimes disagreeing in very strong terms.

3 Free speech lawyer Myles Jackman says the CPS's new guidance is 'clumsy' Credit: Photoshot.

MOST READ IN NEWS SKIN DEEP Skin rash IS Covid symptom, experts warn - the 8 different types revealed Latest RALLYING CRY PM says 'pull together' and warns 'your cough could be someone's death knell' Exclusive PIERS PRESSURE Couple wiped out village's internet for 18 MONTHS to watch Piers on £30 TV MASS EVACUATION Thousands forced to leave mega caravan park as Covid lockdown rules kick in Exclusive OWN GOAL Paul Scholes breaches lockdown again by hosting footie tournament in his garden COV-ER & OUT Lockdown-free Sweden 'on brink of BEATING Covid after achieving herd immunity'

“Social media is a minefield and people can be wholly unpleasant in a friendly way.”

Critics also questioned if the CPS could even cope with a surge in prosecutions caused by the social media crackdown.

3 Labour’s Yvette Cooper has demanded Twitter do more over offensive posts Credit: PA:Press Association

It came as Labour’s Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Committee, wrote to Twitter demanding it does more to take down offensive posts within 24 hours.

Ms Cooper said Twitter was “too slow to act”.