WOMEN living in West Yorkshire received more than double the amount of threats online compared to men in the county, new figures have revealed.

A charity has now called for social media bosses to act in a bid to eradicate the level of abuse women receive on the internet.

Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request found West Yorkshire Police has logged 7,625 threats of violence against women online since 2015 compared to 3,301 complaints referring to abuse to men.

In 2016/17, the police recorded 1,800 crimes online, which were recorded as a "Violence Against the Person" offence against men and women online.

There were 1,241 against women and 539 against men.

In 2017/18, the total increased significantly to 5,063, with the figures showing 3,421 complaints were made by women and 1,514 by men.

The vast difference between the number of violent cyber crimes against women compared to men has shocked charities which are working to combat the difficulties some women can come up against when they log onto social media.

Rachel Krys, co-director of End Violence Against Women, said: “Both online and offline these sorts of crimes are disproportionate against women.

“Threats of violence online and offline happen more to women.

“The online world is reflecting what’s happening in the offline world, it’s just happening in a different way.

“It reflects what is happening on the streets or in women's homes.

“What we are calling for is these kind of threats of violence to be taken very seriously by the criminal justice system and we want places to be built that are safer for women.

“Social media companies should be charged with ensuring their platforms are safe places for everyone and that includes women.

“They need to build in protection and take a zero tolerance approach when people abuse the system.”

West Yorkshire Police has previously released safety tips for anyone using social media.

They encourage people to never share images, send pictures or do anything on a webcam that you would not want your family or friends to see.

They also urge people to not accept friend requests or chat to people who they do not really know.

"Remember ‘friends’, who contact you, might not be who they say they are," they said.

"People can use fake names, profiles and photos to make you think they are someone they’re not."

For more information about staying safe online go to www.getsafeonline.org/news/britain-is-a-nation-of-digital-over-sharers/