POLICE are investigating after former Premier League referee Mark Halsey was subjected to vile abuse online.

The 53-year-old contacted Greater Manchester Police on Sunday after trolls attacked his Twitter account with remarks about his wife Michelle, who is currently fighting leukaemia and his eight-year-old daughter Lucy.

An officer was yesterday standing patrol outside his Bolton home and his wife and daughter have gone to stay elsewhere on a temporary basis.

The two trolls made a number of disturbing threats against his daughter after he posted a family picture online.

Police have been handed screen shots of more than 30 tweets, on March 1, some of which have now been deleted.

It is not the first time The Bolton News columnist has been the subject of trolling.

Mr Halsey announced his retirement from refereeing in 2013 after death threats towards his daughter and wife Michelle, aged 44.

The former referee said: "I've become accustomed to getting a bit of abuse being a referee all those years but this is shocking — I've never seen anything like it.

"To bring my wife and daughter into this is inexcusable and it has caused us a lot of upset.

"You can't hide behind a keyboard. Someone, somewhere is responsible for this and I do hope the police are able to make an example of them. It is sick, there is no other word for it.

"This could be someone on the other side of the world, or they could be at the end of my street in Bolton.

"I cannot understand it, and I won't tolerate it. I'm big enough to look after myself but they crossed a line when they brought my wife and daughter into it."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "The case is being investigated. At this moment in time we are waiting for Twitter to get back to us as to whether they can give us their details but it is being investigated."

Since the incident Mr Halsey has been calling on the help of his Twitter followers to identify the trolls.

In one post, he said: "You all have young children help @gmpolice track these idiots down. Thank you."

Many of his Twitter followers have posted words of support.