The number of court cases brought by people who say they have been defamed online has more than doubled over the last 12 months. Last year in England and Wales there were seven cases of libel bought by people who felt someone had crossed over the line. In the year ending May 31 that had increased to 16 according to legal information firm Sweet and Maxwell said.

Most of the increases are due to the rise in the use of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. The Libel Reform Campaign group told the BBC that some of these cases were being bought by corporate bullies and smaller website operators needed more legal backing to protect themselves. Barrister Korieh Duodu, a media specialist with law firm Addleshaw Goddard, said much of what appeared online was written by people who did not check facts in the way that media organisations do.

Some are finding it too difficult and time-consuming and difficult to have the offending material removed, because many platform providers do not accept responsibility for their users' content. But in some cases the speed at which information travels through social networks that one unchecked comment can spread into the mainstream media within minutes, he said.

Tell us about it, a person with a small penis set up a website dedicated to claiming I was member of the National Front and organising anti-Jewish attacks in the UK (where I don't live). This made for an interesting Christmas dinner with my Father's side of the Family “the Horowitzes”. The French site owner told me that it was not his job to take down such things, partly because he would have to wipe half of his customers off the data base, but mostly because I was a roast beef eating English person whose mother was a hamster and whose father smelt of elder berries. (I'm sure you didn't forget to mention Agincourt. sub.ed.)