MPs are to quiz bosses of social media firm Twitter, in the wake of a string of high profile abuse and threats being posted on the site.

Caroline Criado-Perez, who campaigned to get Hampshire author Jane Austen on the new £10 note, was subjected to a number of threats of rape and violence by users on the social network.

Other high profile women were also targeted after highlighting the abuse faced by M Criado-Perez, including MP Stella Creasy.

Now, politicials have decided to summons Twitter bosses to an inquiry into harmful online content, which was already planned for the Autumn.

Originally it was to focus on matters such as pornography but the remit has been been increased to cover the fallout from the rape threats - and the response to them - by Twitter and the police.

Twitter users have since been campaigned for an easier way to report abusive posts on the site, with Ms Criado-Perez getting as many as 50 threats an hour at one point.

Police forces have also been criticised for their slow response to the abuse, with some commeters suggesting the delay was evidence that forces do not treat online crime with the same level of urgency as other crimes.