Online trolls who sent abusive emails to Tory MP Anna Soubry and her fellow Brexit rebels have been confronted by Sky News.

Ms Soubry has submitted a 35-page dossier of threats of violence made against her to House of Commons Speaker John Bercow.

The document includes emails and Twitter posts, many of which call for the Broxtowe MP to be hanged for treason.

Image: Anna Soubry blames newspapers for 'triggering' the abuse

It comes after Ms Soubry and 10 other Tory backbenchers supported an amendment to key Brexit legislation demanding a "meaningful vote" for Parliament on the UK's divorce deal.

Sky News contacted one man from Kent, who suggested Ms Soubry and others should be hanged.


He was initially unrepentant when challenged about his threatening language.

"I don't care what you think, I want them gone... we should never have done away with hanging," he said.

When pressed on whether he really thought these politicians deserve the death penalty, the man conceded: "To say they should be hanged, it's a debatable point and maybe I regret [writing] that."

Next, Sky News contacted a woman from Warwickshire, who told Ms Soubry: "I hope you do spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder in fear, it's the least you deserve."

Challenged about whether she really wanted this, the woman said: "Well yes - I don't see why not."

But later, she added: "You're twisting it."

Ms Soubry believes several of the threatening tweets and emails were "triggered" by newspaper articles and front pages.

This includes the Daily Mail last week, picturing Tory rebels above the headline, "Proud Of Yourselves?".

Image: The Mail pictured Conservative MPs who voted against the Government

Image: Tory MPs were dubbed 'The Brexit Mutineers' by the Daily Telegraph

In November, a Daily Telegraph front page dubbed Ms Soubry and some of her fellow Conservative MPs "The Brexit Mutineers".

Watching Sky News' confrontations with those who contacted her online, Ms Soubry said: "Actually, I'm quite heartened, because when you spoke to them, it was quite obvious it was the keyboard warrior and it has been whipped up, in particular, by two newspapers.

"One of the gentlemen [what he said] was a direct reference to an online article in the Daily Mail."

The Conservative MP added: "The Mail has a long history of being deeply offensive."

Soubry accuses Daily Telegraph of 'blatant bullying'

Ms Soubry expressed regret that Theresa May had not publicly challenged the Daily Mail's front page last week.

"The Prime Minister should have said: 'I defend the right for them to say it, but they were wrong to say it'," she said.

The former business minister also admitted she was worried about the threats and, as a result, had stopped giving her constituents advance notice about certain events she would be attending.

The Government has confirmed it will look at proposals to create new legislation to protect people in public life.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said ministers were not yet convinced that tougher laws were needed, but they would consider recent recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

A spokesman for the Daily Mail said it was "preposterous" to suggest the paper "would call for violence of any sort".

In a statement, the spokesman said: "No one has been more outspoken than the Daily Mail in condemning the viciousness of social media, and in particular the threats and abuse directed at politicians of all parties.

"The Mail itself, its editor, commentators and columnists also regularly receive violent abuse on social media. As a paper with strong, passionate views we have learned to live with it.

"However, we support Amber Rudd and the Government in their efforts to find ways of tackling this menace. What must never happen is that it is used as an excuse to prevent proper and trenchant debate on the great political issues of the day, including Brexit.

"For the record, all the serious national newspapers, including the pro-Remain Times and Guardian, named the 11 Tory MPs who voted against the Government over Brexit."