Beloved broadcaster and former Strictly Come Dancing star, Reverend Richard Coles, revealed earlier this week that his long-term partner David had sadly passed away following a long illness.
Now Richard, 57, has told fans that the police have been called in after vile online trolls told him that ‘David is in hell’.
Police called this evening, sympathetic and professional, and my hateful correspondence is now evidence. Thank you @NorthantsPolice
— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) December 20, 2019
Read more: I’m A Celebrity’s Jacqueline Jossa wows fans with glam makeover after I’m A Celebrity success
Richard took to Twitter to tell followers that the police had called ‘that evening’ and that his ‘hateful correspondence’ was now ‘evidence’ in an investigation.
He tweeted: “Police called this evening, sympathetic and professional, and my hateful correspondence is now evidence. Thank you @NorthantsPolice.”
99.99999% loveliness from people and then a small but lively correspondence from Christians who wish me to know that D is in hell and I will follow. It’s like the Khmer Rouge suddenly popping up in a stream of condolence.
— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) December 19, 2019
Richard also thanked fans for their ‘loveliness’ but also informed them that a small minority of Christians had told him that they had hoped ‘D is in hell and I will follow’.
He said: “The horrible letters: they don’t touch me. I am right now an expert in pain, the real kind, and these are paper darts among the incoming, and just leave me mildly curious about the state of mind of the writer.”
The horrible letters: they don’t touch me. I am right now an expert in pain, the real kind, and these are paper darts among the incoming, and just leave me mildly curious about the state of mind of the writer. pic.twitter.com/2VhMrleT3o
— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) December 19, 2019
Richard, who has been a Church of England priest since 2005, called the messages from trolls ‘paper darts’ and that they ‘don’t touch me’.
The BBC reports that Northamptonshire police are now investigating the messages and treating them as hate crimes.
We would like to reiterate to the public that there’s no place in society for prejudice or for hatred.
“We would like to reiterate to the public that there’s no place in society for prejudice or for hatred,” a Northamptonshire police spokesman said.
“We take a zero-tolerance approach towards hate crime and would encourage anyone who has been a victim of hate crime to come forward and report it to us.”
Also @NorthantsPolice lit a candle in memory of @RevDavidColes at their carol service tonight. There appears to be evidence of something in my eye. pic.twitter.com/gyaVChAn99
— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) December 20, 2019
Read more: Joe Swash reveals why he ‘resented’ Stacey Solomon after Rex was born
Richard also revealed that Northamptonshire police lit a candle in David’s memory at its carol service.
Church of England priests Richard and David lived together in a vicarage in the county.
The couple entered into a civil partnership in 2005, soon after Richard was ordained into the Anglican church.