Women MPs from ethnic minorities are significantly more likely to be subject to abuse and attack by members of the public, parliamentary authorities responsible for security have warned.

The deputy speaker and Parliament’s head of security are leading a probe into MPs’ safety in the wake of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a right-wing extremist. The inquiry is in the process of surveying and collating MPs’ experiences of being attacked – both in person and online.

Though the final figures from the survey are expected in two weeks time, Lindsay Hoyle, the deputy speaker leading on the security crackdown, said preliminary results showed women and ethnic minorities were by far the most heavily targeted.

“All MPs, I believe, are vulnerable to abuse, attack and threat, but more so for women MPs – that is the one thing I’ve picked up since I’ve taken over this jobs,” he told the Home Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday.

“Then you can break that down even further to ethnic minority MPs and in particular ethnic minority women MPs who’ve suffered more abuse than other MPs on the evidence that we’ve gathered so far.”

The deputy speaker said he had sat down for discussions with MPs who had been the subject of the heaviest abuse and that ethnic minority women were being attacked “from two sides” – for their gender and ethnicity.

Mr Hoyle revealed that “there have been physical attacks” against MPs since the murder of the late Ms Cox ahead of the EU referendum and that attacks had also taken place against MPs’ staff.

The deputy speaker added: “We are aware of it, we are collating it, and we are keeping a record of it.”

Mr Hoyle said Parliament would now be taking a “zero tolerance” approach and that MPs were being encouraged to report even the smallest incidents. He also argued that social media technology companies were complicit in the abuse for failing to crack down on it.

Eric Hepburn, who has served as Parliament’s director of security for six months, said MPs were in “a very good position” in terms of protection from attack while they were in Westminster and that there were a “good basic set of measures” at their homes and offices.

He however warned that MPs were essentially “on their own” in terms of security while they were out and about in their constituencies.

Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle shows the abuse survey MPs have been sent (House of Commons)

Appearing alongside Mr Hoyle at the committee hearing Mr Hepburn cited a BBC survey of MPs that suggested that one third of all MPs had considered quitting as a result of abuse they had received.

Last month Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black woman MP, warned that misogyny and abuse she had received were putting women off politics.

Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes and candles are placed by a picture of slain Labour MP Jo Cox at a vigil in Parliament square in London AFP Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes to Labour Party MP Jo Cox are placed on her houseboat in Wapping in London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures The Union flag at half-mast on top of Portcullis House in London after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (2R) and deputy leader Tom Watson (L) light candles as they attend a vigil to slain Labour MP Jo Cox in Parliament square in London AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and deputy leader Tom Watson (rear) arrive to leave tributes at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People leave St Peter's Church after a vigil in memory of Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flowers left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminste, following the death of Labour MP Jo Cox PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People react as they look at tributes left for Labour Member of Parliament Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A man writes a message at Parliament Square PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People stop to look at tributes left at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman arrives to lay flowers at a statue to Joseph Priestly in Birstall near to the scene where Labour MP Jo Cox was shot AFP/Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Tributes at Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A woman places candles in tribute to Labour Party MP Jo Cox REUTERS Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A member of the public signs a memorial for British MP Jo Cox in Parliament Square, London EPA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People sign messages of condolence for MP Jo Cox during a vigil in Parliament Square in London Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Flags at half mast outside Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death in the street outside her constituency advice surgery in Birstall PA Jo Cox tributes - in pictures People arrive in Market Square with floral tributes after the death of Jo Co Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are placed in Market Square next to the statue of Joseph Priestley following the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures Floral tributes are brought to the scene after the death of Jo Cox Getty Images Jo Cox tributes - in pictures A police officer carries bunches of flowers at the scene of the shooting of Labour MP Jo Cox in Birstall REUTERS

“Suppose that someone had told me back then that 30 years on I would be receiving stuff like this: ‘Pathetic useless fat black piece of shit Abbott. Just a piece of pig shit pond slime who should be fucking hung (if they could find a tree big enough to take the fat bitch’s weight)’,” she wrote in the Guardian newspaper.