Sussex Police are investigating after a web troll threatened to kill members of UKIP in Sussex.
The slurs against the political party’s Crawley branch were made on a political blog.
UKIP members subsequently alerted Sussex Police who confirmed they were investigating the incident.
The comments incite violence and murder against UKIP members which The Argus consider too extreme to publish.
An email from Sussex Police to UKIP, sent last week, said: “Further to our telephone conversation today, I would like to confirm that Sussex Police is investigating the malicious, abusive and threatening comments made on an open forum website on the Politicalscrapbook.net in February 2013.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention as Sussex Police takes this type of offence very seriously.
“I am saddened to report that I have not received a reply to an e-mail I sent, last month, to the editor of the Politicalscrapbook requesting his cooperation in our investigation, and requesting the immediate removal of the offensive material.
“I continue to make attempts to contact the website and am now seeking advice from Sussex Police High Tech Crime Unit and Telecoms liaison Unit.
“I shall keep you informed as the investigation proceeds.”
UKIP in Crawley did not respond to The Argus’s requests for a comment yesterday.
A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Police are investigating an alleged offence of malicious communication following a posting made on a political blogging site.
“A piece appeared on politicalscrapbook.net in January this year, suggesting that the UK Independence Party (UKIP) was backing another party's request for funding.
“As a result, a number of comments were made by visitors to the site, including one that was reported to Sussex Police by a Crawley representative of UKIP.
“Detectives have twice contacted the editor of the site alerting them to the specific comment and asking for information about the person who posted the comment.
“As yet no reply has been received and the investigation is continuing.”
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