Syria air strikes: MPs were sent dead baby pictures

MPs received photos of dead babies and severed heads in the build up to the vote on Syrian air strikes, shadow Commons leader Chris Bryant has said.

The Rhondda MP said politicians' offices had been barricaded, and one MP's house had been surrounded.

Mr Bryant said such abuse was "beyond the pale" and that security at MPs' homes and offices should be reviewed.

Caerphilly MP Wayne David said he was called a "murderer" and "warmonger" for backing wider military action.

Mr David and Mr Bryant were among the four Labour MPs to join 11 Welsh Conservatives in supporting David Cameron's proposals, the measure was passed by a large majority of 174 on Wednesday night.

Air strikes targeting Islamic State militants in Syria began shortly afterwards.

'Broad shoulders'

Mr Bryant told the Commons on Thursday that many people had "hurled a great deal of abuse" at MPs on both sides of the debate.

He said some had been called "murderers, peacenik, terrorist sympathisers, whatever", but insisted "no MP should ever be intimidated".

"Sadly the abuse for all members of this house has been beyond the pale," Mr Bryant said.

"Several members have had their offices barricaded, one member had her house surrounded, many had photos of dead babies pushed through their front door at home.

"I gather today some members have received photos of severed heads."

"MPs have broad shoulders, of course we do, but can I ask members to review the security of members homes and offices," Mr Bryant added.

Mr David, a frontbench justice spokesman and former minister, told BBC Radio Wales that as well as being called "a warmonger" he had been told he would have "blood on my hands", had received anonymous calls to his office and was threatened with de-selection.

Mr David, Mr Bryant and Stephen Doughty were the most prominent Welsh Labour MPs calling for military action.

They were joined by Susan Elan Jones, the Clwyd South MP.

Twenty of Wales' 25 Labour and three Plaid Cymru MPs rejected the plan.

Among the Welsh Labour MPs who voted against air strikes were shadow cabinet members Nia Griffith and Owen Smith.

They were joined by Kevin Brennan, Geraint Davies, Chris Evans, David Hanson, Paul Flynn, Carolyn Harris, Huw Irranca-Davies, Gerald Jones, Stephen Kinnock, Ian Lucas, Madeleine Moon, Christina Rees, Jo Stevens, Nick Smith, Mark Tami and Nick Thomas-Symonds, Jessica Morden and Albert Owen.

Ann Clwyd was absent from the vote due to illness.

Although the Liberal Democrats said they were in favour of air strikes, the party's only Welsh MP, Mark Williams, voted against.

Glyn Davies, Conservative MP for Montgomeryshire, who voted in favour of the action, said most MPs accepted there was no certainty the strikes would work to combat so-called Islamic State targets.

"If there was certainty then there would be no difficulty securing the vote of everyone. It's a big problem we're confronted with - a massive problem," he said.

The prime minister said carrying out UK air strikes in Syria would "keep the British people safe", as MPs debated the issue on Wednesday.

Mr Corbyn had claimed David Cameron's case "doesn't stack up", but he allowed his MPs a free vote on the issue.