Judge stops transgender Twitter row

Trans woman Stephanie Hayden claimed a Catholic journalist harassed her in a series of tweets

A judge has told a transgender lawyer and a Catholic journalist involved in an "out of control" Twitter row not to mention each other online.

Trans woman Stephanie Hayden has been granted an injunction against Caroline Farrow after a "barrage" of tweets.

At a High Court hearing in London, Mr Justice Bryan also asked Ms Hayden to not mention Mrs Farrow, and she agreed.

The judge said tweets sent by mother-of-five Mrs Farrow, whose husband is a priest, had "crossed the line".

An interim injunction bans Mrs Farrow from mentioning Ms Hayden, in particular from "misgendering" her, by referring to her as male when she is legally female.

'Avalanche of abuse'

The judge said: "The tweeting… has got out of control. Each have said things in those tweets which, in the cold light of day in this court, I would anticipate they would rather wish they had not done."

Representing herself, Ms Hayden told the judge the debate with Mrs Farrow had been going on since January.

She claimed Mrs Farrow harassed her in a series of tweets, suggesting she was violent, misgendering her and posting a photograph of her.

Mrs Farrow denied this and her lawyers argued she had been subjected to "a positive avalanche of abuse over a number of months" from Ms Hayden.

The two have previously been involved in Twitter rows over similar issues, the court heard.

Mrs Farrow was investigated by police after the founder of transgender support charity Mermaids, Susie Green, accused the commentator of misgendering her daughter on Twitter.

Ms Green later withdrew the complaint and Surrey Police announced in March they would take no further action.