Man charged over 'offensive' tweet about Captain Sir Tom Moore

8 February 2021, 15:10 | Updated: 8 February 2021, 16:50

A 35-year-old man has been charged in connection with an alleged offensive message posted on Twitter about Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Sir Tom, who captured the hearts of the nation with his fundraising efforts during the first coronavirus lockdown, died in Bedford Hospital last Tuesday morning after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Second World War veteran's family said the last year of the 100-year-old's life was "nothing short of remarkable" and that he had "experienced things he'd only ever dreamed of".

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: "On Friday 5 February 2021, we received a report of an offensive tweet about Sir Captain Tom Moore who died on Tuesday 2 February.

"A 35-year-old man has subsequently been arrested and charged in connection with communication offences and is due to appear at Lanark Sheriff Court on Wednesday 17 February."

Captain Sir Tom Moore dies aged 100

Sir Tom had been taken to hospital on February 1 after being treated for pneumonia for some time and testing positive for coronavirus the previous week.

The veteran set out to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday last April - but his efforts struck a chord with the nation and donations flooded in.

The Captain Tom Foundation, which was set up to support causes close to Sir Tom's heart, said its work would "aspire to ensure Tom's message of hope becomes an enduring legacy".

His family praised the care he had received from the NHS and said they had been able to spend time with him in his final hours.

In a statement, his daughters, Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, said: "We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime.

"We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together."

They added: "Whilst he'd been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever."

Floral tributes were left in the village of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire where Sir Tom lived.

Bill Chandi, his friend and local postmaster, said more than 100 cards addressed to the family had arrived on Wednesday, with people starting to send messages after it was reported that Sir Tom had been taken to hospital.

Buckingham Palace said the Queen would be sending a private message of condolence to Sir Tom's family, while the White House also joined the chorus of tributes.