A Conservative peer has criticised the beauty industry, suggesting its "obsession with perfection" is fuelling social media abuse of people with disfigurements.

Minister for Equalities Baroness Williams of Trafford called for tougher regulation of websites so vulnerable people are not targeted by internet trolls.

She spoke out after data collected by charity Changing Faces showed that 58 per cent of people who look different have experienced hostile behaviour from strangers.

The charity's revealing report, titled 'My Visible Difference', was published on Wednesday as part of Face Equality Day, which aims to give a voice to people with a visible difference and combat discrimination against them.

Changing Faces, which supports people who have a mark, scar or condition which alters their appearance, hosted a panel discussion on the findings chaired by The Telegraph’s Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, Asif Sadiq.

Baroness Williams said during the talk: "We are all different and look different from each other, and why should that be an issue?

"There's an obsession in the beauty industry with perfection and many girls have got such a distorted perception of what beauty and perfection looks like."

She added: "Some of the comments on social media are utterly disgusting. What is a criminal act offline should have the same teeth online."