The MP for Morecambe has spoken out against social media abuse after revealing she had to block three users for "comments which included abusive and discriminatory language".
Lizzi Collinge said she had received a "huge amount of abusive comments which stops real debate from happening".
In a statement released on her Facebook page, Ms Collinge said:
"This week I have had to block three users for comments which included abusive and discriminatory language.
"I wanted to write a post to set out my boundaries of what I will and won’t tolerate on this page.
"Facebook is a platform which I used pre-election to engage with constituents to have productive conversations. I want this to continue to be the case, as it is very important to me that all voices are heard.
"There is however a line that has been crossed and discussions that have turned into abuse and harassment against both me and my constituents. Most of the unacceptable comments have been from a very small number of people from outside the constituency.
"I do not want to have to block anyone, and this is something I am reserving for the very worst cases and as a last resort.
"Since the election I have blocked only four people despite there being a huge amount of abusive comments which stops real debate from happening.
"Offenders often cite ‘freedom of speech’ but I will remind those people that ‘freedom of speech’ does not include the right to abuse and fundamentally does not include the right to a platform on my page."
Ms Collinge was elected as the new Morecambe and Lunesdale MP, for Labour, in July.
Posting on Ms Collinge's page in response to her statement, Councillor Joanne Ainscough, also of Labour, said:
"The level of abuse has been utterly horrendous and totally unacceptable. Strong opinions are one thing but abusive language is another.
"There are always going to be issues that people disagree with especially over the hard decisions the government has to make to clean up the mess left by 15 years of the Tories but challenging debate and discussion is not the same as abusive language and threatening behaviour.
"I’m sorry that it’s had to come to this!"
Other comments on Ms Collinge's page supported her stance on social media abuse.
One said: "Good healthy debate is good but there is a line. I've seen it crossed a number of times on your posts. It's disgusting everyone has the right to disagree but to be abusive is not the way to go about it. I know you have the local community in your heart and it really must pain you to toe the party line. 100 days is not long enough to pass judgement."
Another said: "Good for you Lizzi, some comments I've seen are so personal and insulting."
Another said: "You do right Lizzi. No one - in any profession - deserves to be treated badly online or on social media. I remember when (previous MP) David Morris had to do the same thing [block people] and he was absolutely lambasted for it. Like him, you’ve done the right thing!"
Mr Morris, who was MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale for the Conservatives from 2010 until he lost his seat to Ms Collinge in July, received a huge amount of abuse and 'trolling' on social media during his time in office.
Speaking to Beyond Radio this week, Mr Morris said this had been "mainly orchestrated by Labour".
Other MPs have also spoken out about the level of abuse they have received on social media.
Tom Pursglove, former Tory MP for Corby who lost his seat in the election this summer, told the BBC in September: "I just don't miss the social media abuse, some of that intolerance.
"When I think about local interaction, 99.5 per cent of people were absolutely brilliant locally, [but] you get a small core who can often be quite disingenuous and would argue whatever you do is wrong, because of your particular political colour."
In January, a report by the Jo Cox Foundation, named after the MP who was murdered in 2016, said the abuse and intimidation of politicians is "a significant threat to democracy".
The report suggested social media firms should offer extra support to politicians during elections.
Ms Collinge and other Labour MPs have received a wave of criticism online after the vote against an attempt to block plans to cut winter fuel payments to pensioners, in September.
Under plans by the new government, winter fuel payments will now only be paid to pensioners claiming a pension credit to top up low income or other means-tested benefits, meaning millions over the age of 66 will lose out.
The cut will save £1.4bn which the government says will go towards covering a £22bn black hole they inherited from the previous Tory administration.
Read more: Morecambe MP defends her vote on cuts to pensioners' winter fuel payments - Beyond Radio
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