Frank Stallone has been fiercely criticised for branding a Florida school shooting survivor a “rich little b****” and arguing he should be “sucker punched”.

David Hogg, one of the most outspoken survivors of the Valentine’s Day bloodshed which left 17 dead, first gained headlines after it emerged he interviewed class mates while the massacre was taking place.

The teenager has since become a prominent voice in the debate around gun control and addressed a crowd of thousands at the Washington DC March For Our Lives rally last month. He welcomed demonstrators to the “revolution” for stricter gun laws and called for politicians who are supported by the National Rifle Association to get their “resumes ready”.

Stallone, an actor who is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone, has provoked a ferocious backlash for his remarks about Mr Hogg.

"This David Hogg p***y is getting a little big for his britches. I'm sure someone from his age group is dying to sucker punch this rich little b****,” Stallone said in a now-deleted tweet.

“Watch him run home like the coward he is. He's the worst rep for today's youth headline grabbing punk”.

Stallone also lashed out at Emma Gonzalez - a fellow gun activist and student survivor from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

”Emma Gonzalez is another headline grabbing clown. She thinks she it she ain’t s***,” he said.

Despite the fact both tweets have been deleted and his account is now protected - so only visible to certain users - screenshots of the tweets have circulated on Twitter.

Florida shooting – in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Florida shooting – in pictures Florida shooting – in pictures Police arrest a suspect in connection with the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Reuters Florida shooting – in pictures Parents wait for news after reports of a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida AP Florida shooting – in pictures Anxious family members wait for news of students AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee Florida shooting – in pictures Students being evacuated from the school AP Florida shooting – in pictures Students being evacuated from the school Getty Florida shooting – in pictures People gather waiting for word from students AP Florida shooting – in pictures Parents waiting for news on their children AP Florida shooting – in pictures People gather at a hotel where students were taken after the shooting Getty Florida shooting – in pictures Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media as he visits Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School following the shooting AFP/Getty Florida shooting – in pictures Dr. Igor Nichiporenko, Medical Director Trauma, left, and Dr. Evan Boyer, Medical Director, Emergency Services, speak about treating victims and the suspect at a press conference outside Broward Health North hospital AP

Stallone's criticism of the gun activists came after Twitter users also rebuked rocker Ted Nugent for saying the Florida students pushing for gun control are "mushy brained children" and "have no soul" on a conservative radio show.

Twitter users condemned Stallone, who is also a musician, for the vitriolic language he used about Mr Hogg.

"So @Stallone tweeted that David Hogg is a p***y who should have his ass kicked and run home like a coward. He then deleted the tweet & protected his account when called out on it. Who’s the p***y & coward now, Frank? Far from over, indeed. #sly’sbrother," podcast host Jimmy Pardo said.

"We don’t have to worry about a Frank Stallone boycott. That started in the late seventies,” quipped Judd Apatow.