THE UK Government is following in the footsteps of its Scottish counterpart with plans to toughen penalties for internet trolls.
UK Justice Secretary Chris Grayling is to increase the maximum jail term for posting abusive comments online from six months to two years for offenders in England and Wales.
However, his proposals still fall short of those in place in Scotland, where cyber abuse can attract a sentence of five years.
Mr Grayling said the plan was a signal of his determination to hit back at the "cowards" behind online attacks.
He added: "This is a law to combat cruelty - and marks our determination to take a stand against a baying cyber-mob. We must send out a clear message: if you troll, you risk being behind bars for two years."
The Scottish Government introduced tougher sentences for online abusers in 2012 as part of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act.
This included a maximum sentence of five years for more serious offences in this category.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We take online safety incredibly seriously and we continue to liaise with law enforcement agencies to ensure they have the powers and resources to tackle any incidents of criminality and bring those responsible to justice"
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