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She said comments such as Mr Hester's "wind up a certain sort of nutcase and it makes you more vulnerable".

“I am still harassed by TV producers, high school kids and nutcases who promise to get the clients out of prison,” she said in an email.

One told call handlers: "He's a nutcase, from what I gather."

He added in a direct message cited by Protocol, “I don’t love the idea of being shot by a nutcase.”

“We’re trying to do this in a way that’s quite pragmatic and businesslike so that we don’t get written off as kind of left-wing nutcases. But it’s quite centrist and practical,” said Martin.