THE police have confirmed they are investigating alleged death threats against a female SNP MSP who was accused by the Alba party of normalising paedophiles.

Police Scotland said it had received a complaint about online threats directed at Karen Adam and its enquiries were ongoing.

Ms Adam, who was elected the MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast last May, said she suffered a social media “pile on” after being singled out by a senior Alba member.

She said the “vile abuse” including being told she would be “put through a wood chipper”, and has now taken a break from Twitter.

It followed Ms Adam being criticised by Inverclyde councillor Chris McEleny, the general secretary of Alex Salmond’s pro-independence party.

On December 30, Ms Adam, who has said she is “a survivor of child sexual assault”, tweeted about the danger of sexual predators. 

Highlighting the way paedophiles blend in with society, making them hard to identify, she wrote: “Paedophiles and predators are people. Not bogey men under the bed. 

“Not Mac wearing flashers in the street, faceless and nameless. 

“They are our family, friends and colleagues. They are not scary monsters. They are people who abuse. It’s uncomfortable to humanise them because we then have to face the horrors in plain sight. Horrifying isn’t it? Face it and warn our kids.”

READ MORE: SNP MSP Karen Adam reveals death threats after attack by Alba party

Mr McEleny then accused her on Sunday of being an “ideological zealot” who had made an “appalling error in judgment”.

He said: “These comments must be distanced from by the SNP leadership immediately and they should demand that their MSPs spend more time campaigning for independence and less time trying to humanise paedophiles.” 

Ms Adam in turn accused him of “gaslighting and cowardliness”, and said he ought to be ashamed of twisting her words.

At just before 3.30am on Monday morning, Ms Adam tweeted: “Can’t sleep, not eaten. I’m worried for mine and my families safety after I was just told my personal details are now being shared. Death threats, vile abuse, told to kill myself.

“Told I’d be put through a wood chipper. Grateful for litigation advice. I’m off for a wee bit.”

Police Scotland said it has received reports of threats made against Ms Adam, and was currently investigating.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “We can confirm that a complaint has been made regarding online threats and police inquiries are ongoing.”

Mr McEleny later condemned the abuse directed at Ms Adam.

He said yesterday: “said today: "I reject in the strongest possible manner anyone that has directed abhorrent threats at Ms Adam. I would urge her to report these to the police.

“I would plead with everyone that interacts about Scottish politics on Twitter to do so in a much nicer way.

"Ms Adam has subsequently clarified the point she was attempting to make in the initial tweet, which had been criticised by many online, and the message she is getting across with the added explanation is an important one that we should all listen to.”