The daughter of Toronto city councillor Doug Ford and the niece of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has offered up some controversial advice for women worried about sexual assault — don't dress like a whore.

"Stay alert, walk tall, carry mace, take self-defence classes & don’t dress like a whore," Krista Ford wrote on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

The tweet was posted shortly after Toronto police held a news conference to warn women in a downtown neighbourhood about a string of sexual assaults.

The tweet has since been removed.

Ford was a high profile member of a Toronto women's football team, the Toronto Triumph. The team was part of the Lingerie Football League. Ford quit the team.

Her advice to "carry mace" is also controversial, since mace is a prohibited and restricted weapon.

A similar comment from a Toronto police officer led to the creation of the 'Slut Walk' which has spread to cities all over North America and Europe.

Const. Michael Sanguinetti said during a personal security conference at York University in January 2011 that "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized."

Sanguinetti later apologized for the comment.