Sir Elton John has called for a social media boycott in order to fight hate speech.

In a new interview with BBC's Newsnight, the music icon spoke about homophobic abuse on social apps and stated that the companies behind the social apps have a responsibility to tackle the issue.

Slamming social companies Twitter and Facebook, Elton said: "I don't know why they [social media firms] allow it.

"It's supposed to be free speech but the things that are on social media are so disgusting that there has to be action taken by the people who own and run these companies, and say, 'Enough's enough, we're spreading hate.'"

He continued: "People say, 'Well, what about my freedom of speech?' Sod your freedom of speech."

The singer then suggested that boycotting social media would help tackle the problem.

Elton said: "Why not? Then they'll sit up. When the money is not coming in they'll sit up.

"They can do so much good, but first they have to clean house and become a much more moral and Christian thinking. A moral thinking compass for what's going on in the world. At the moment, they're not doing that."

The comments come after he gave the Diana, Princess of Wales lecture on HIV in which he urged social media firms to help fight the stigma surrounding HIV.