The Labour parliamentary candidate for Canterbury has announced she will not be attending local hustings ahead due to constant trolling.

Rosie Duffield, who was elected to the south east Kent seat in 2017, said in a statement today that she has made the “difficult decision” not to attend the events ahead of the general election.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has since come out in support of Ms Duffield after following accusations the politician was “swerving” the pre-election events to avoid questions from constituents critical of her views, while other public figures have also leant their support.

In Ms Duffield’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, the parliamentary candidate said: “I have made the extremely difficult decision not to attend local hustings events during this general election campaign.

“Hustings are usually an enjoyable and interested part of any political campaign, but sadly the actions of a few fixated individuals have now made my attendance impossible.

“The constant trolling, spite and misrepresentation from certain people – having built up over a number of years and being pursued with a new vigour during this election – is now affecting my sense of security and wellbeing. The result is now that I feel unable to be focused on giving a clear presentation of the Labour Party’s manifesto commitments.”

This comes after a court case earlier this month in which a man who threatened online to kill the former MP and Rowling was spared jail.

Responding to a comment on X accusing the Canterbury candidate of being scared of a public forum, Ms Rowling said: “When you've had years of death and rape threats, physical intimidation, the necessity of hiring your own personal security and a total absence of support from your party, you can show us all what bravery looks like.”

Ms Duffield and Ms Rowling have both attracted controversy over their views on trans women, with the former MP arguing there should protected spaces where those born male are not allowed to go, such as domestic violence refuges and prisons. She is against people being able to self-identify as trans to gain access to those places.

The pair have often supported each other while battling criticisms of their positions on social media.

Other notable figures such as Birmingham Labour candidate Jess Phillips said they could relate to Mr Duffield’s experience.

“Been same here, threats of intimidation and harrassment in this campaign mean that planned events are nearly impossible to go to,” said Ms Phillips on X.

Ms Duffield’s announcement, which was published a few hours before the Whitstable Husting, went on to say how many other candidates have also had to consider the safety of their campaign teams.

As a result, the Labour candidate says she has had to spend time and money on personal security.

The statement adds: “This has a very real effect on democracy and MPs should be able to enjoy what will be for most their first hustings experience, that is free from abuse and interruption, and I will no doubt see them during the rest of the campaign.

“I will be holding several secure local events in the coming weeks so that constituents can indeed put their questions to me.”