'I will not be silenced by sexist abuse online'

Councillor Becky Davidson said she had received hundreds of misogynistic and sexist comments online

A councillor who deactivated her social media accounts after receiving hate messages has said women's voices are being silenced by abuse.

Becky Davidson posted her first video online after a one-year hiatus and has again received hundreds of negative and sexist comments.

The Warwick district councillor said in the past she had received misogynistic comments - including being told to "go back into the kitchen" as well as inappropriate references to her body parts.

She told the BBC: "It's done purposefully, to belittle me, to make me feel embarrassed, make me not want to speak up again because they're trying to quieten my voice."

The Green Party councillor said she made the decision to deactivate her social media after she received abuse last year.

"I thought I don't need to be online, it doesn't matter - but why do women need to come off to protect themselves?

"They're losing their voice online and that's not fair."

Davidson said she first tried to turn off the comments - but realised it meant people that supported her would not be able to interact with her.

She said: "I did my first video, updating people on a local political situation and I was expressing my views and feelings about it.

"Then came hundreds of comments on my appearance, a lot of name calling, referring to parts of body, what I was wearing - calling me a woman of the night.

"It was just removing the attention from the issue I was talking about and making it about my body and what I was wearing."

Councillor Becky Davidson told the BBC she will not let abuse online silence her voice

Davidson said she called out people leaving negative comments on her TikTok and Instagram, by telling them their posts were inappropriate and unacceptable.

She said: "I thought what they're doing is not OK, and I will not be silenced."

Speaking on negative comments she had received about her dress sense, she added: "I always said once I got elected I'm going to wear what I've always worn.

"Because I'm not a career politician - I am a local resident who cares about her community.

"It's OK to have a debate, but hatred comes from a fear of not understanding.

"If you feel this way about women and feel they don't belong in public, politics, football - why?

"What is it that you're threatened by women taking up space?"