A Labour MP’s constituency office windows have been smashed in what she suspects may have been an attempt at intimidation over her stance on Brexit.

The damage to the office of Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland in County Durham, was inflicted on Saturday and comes amid an increasingly febrile atmosphere in Britain over its exit from the European Union (EU).

Ms Goodman, who backed Remain in the 2016 but voted to trigger Article 50 two years ago to respect the result of the referendum, is calling for a so-called soft Brexit and late last month voted to keep the UK in a customs union.

“Feelings may be running high but violence like this is quite unjustified,” Ms Goodman tweeted on Sunday. “Fortunately, because it was Saturday night, no one was in the office or hurt.”

The MP, a former work and pensions minister, told The Independent police were investigating, but that “in all probability” the incident was motivated by anger at Britain’s failure to leave Europe. “I’ve had a lot of abuse on social media lately,” she added.

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Durham Constabulary has been contacted for comment.

Images posted on social media showed a hole had been punched into the glass of the office’s front door, while one of the building’s windows had been shattered.

“I hope it’s just an accident but the level of hatred in politics is rising to an unsafe and violent level,” one Twitter user who shared the images said.

“I do not know who did this, but this sort of yobbish behaviour is totally unjustified and does not help us to find a way forward for the country,” Ms Goodman told The Northern Echo on Sunday.

She continued: “We live in a free country and attempts to intimidate through violence are wrong.

“It’s so unfair on my staff. They are entitled to work free from fear, and also it’s bad for constituents who need urgent help. We’ll have to review our security at the office.”

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