Daily attacks on social media portraying Plymouth councillors as “useless and corrupt” during the highly charged directly elected mayor campaign are putting “good community champions” off joining public life, a leading figure has claimed.

Deputy leader of Plymouth City Council, Cllr Jemima Laing (Lab, Stoke) said she had experienced a level of abuse like never before.

“You always expect a bit of political argy bargy and that comes with the territory but this campaign was a completely different kettle of fish,” she said.

“The online abuse that it spawned was relentless and it became extremely personal extremely quickly.

“I was called every name you can think of and there were comments about my personal appearance and that I had no mind of my own. These keyboard warriors were implying that councillors were corrupt and useless.

“I know what I received was not a patch on the daily defamatory attacks on the council leader Tudor Evans.”

She said people talking about councillors as “useless individuals” did not help when they were trying to get more people involved in public life.

“There was a daily denigration of the role that councillors do across the political arena. I cannot think of one who doesn’t work extremely hard for their residents and who hasn’t chosen to come into this in public life because they want to do their best for the people who elected them and those who didn’t.”

“I found it really dispiriting because we are trying to make it more attractive to become a councillor.”

That push to get more councillors includes holding more committee meetings after 5pm to attract those who work full time and have caring responsibilities.

Cllr Laing said the abusive comments, which she reported to one social media channel on numerous occasions, were not matched by what councillors received when they were out knocking on doors.

“If you believe what people say online, you would think that that people would be vile to us and slamming doors in our face but it’s not like that.

“In the real world, I won’t pretend that everybody is happy with every single thing that is going on but what I am saying is that people are always up for a conversation, telling us what they are worried about whether they support us as a Labour party or not.”

The councillor said she had developed “a thick skin” through her seven years on Plymouth City Council and was not afraid of criticism and scrutiny, welcoming comments on her councillor page.

She said social media was a powerful tool for the council in getting its messages out but there was also a negative side

“I am concerned it will lead to something serious and unpleasant. My family worries about that.”

But she added: “I will not let it stop me because if you do, it’s these people, who hide behind their laptops and phones who would probably not know you if they passed you in the street, that have prevented you from doing what you want to do and have won ultimately.”

As a result of recent events, new councillors will get additional training on being prepared for negative social media comments and the council is expected to write to the government expressing its concern.

“I do not know what the answer is. Particular social media platforms can just operate as they are with impunity really and people are allowed to say what they like about whoever they like with no recourse. I can’t see how that feeds into having a healthy society.”

Cllr Laing said she would use her experience and that of other councillors to inform the Debate Not Hate campaign around local government and online abuse.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is actively working to address online abuse and intimidation faced by councillors and council staff.

It is pushing for stronger measures within the Online Safety Bill to protect elected officials from online harassment.

Devon and Cornwall police are investigating a “serious threat of violence” on council leader Tudor Evans last month which he claimed was made by a member of the public after weeks of “intense campaigning” ahead of the referendum on a directly elected mayor for the city held on July 17.

At the time, A Mayor for Plymouth campaign spokesperson condemned the threats Cllr Evans had received.

People voted ‘no’ to a directly elected mayor after 19 per cent of the electorate turned out at the ballot box.

The man behind the Yes campaign Angus Forbes has declined to comment further on the subject.