The Metropolitan Police is reviewing death threats displayed by trans rights activists at last weekend's mass protests in London.
The force - having initially dismissed complaints about the signs - is now examining threatening placards carried during a demonstration against the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.
Several offensive placards were displayed at the protest. Two signs showed "hangman" figures alongside the phrase "the only good terf is a _ _ _ _ one".
Another urged women to give themselves a "DIY lobotomy", while a fourth appeared to show bullet holes with the message: "I will make you listen."
The Met initially told The Telegraph it would take no further action, saying complaints were about images from "historic events" or did not "constitute a criminal offence".
The Metropolitan Police is reviewing death threats displayed by trans rights activists at last weekend's mass protests in London
PA
But the force changed its position after being presented with evidence that threatening signs had been displayed in central London on Saturday.
Scotland Yard then said it would review complaints alongside an investigation into seven statues vandalised in Parliament Square during the protest.
Sarah Vine KC told The Telegraph that the hangman placards "clearly cross the line of criminality" and suggested police would have "no difficulty in making a decision to charge the responsible person" if the situation were reversed.
"If the word 'terf' were to be replaced by any equivalent word - 'trans woman', 'Muslim', 'Tory', 'immigrant' - I would expect the police to have no difficulty in making a decision to charge the responsible person," she said.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said that trans activists who vandalised statues during Saturday's protest should "face the full force of the law".
LATEST FOLLOWING THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING:
The Met is also looking into a selection of statues which were vandalised at the demonstrations
PAThe PM "absolutely condemns any abuse of campaigners", his spokesman added - but did not explicitly call for those carrying threatening placards to face criminal prosecution.
Helen Nettleship, a 52-year-old barrister from London, spotted one of the hangman placards from "across a sea of people merrily chanting: 'F*** JK Rowling.'"
"That's me – a sensible middle-aged woman they want dead," she said.
Lily Maynard, another gender-critical feminist, described a "party atmosphere" despite the "horrific" signs.
PICTURED: A protest placard shows 'hangman' figures alongside the phrase 'the only good terf is a _ _ _ _ terf'
JO GRADY/X
Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex, not acquired gender.
The judgment was welcomed by gender-critical campaigners - but sparked protests from trans activists across the country.
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, said some signs were "impossible to interpret in any way other than encouragement to commit serious violence against women".
"Taking these threatening signs seriously and investigating them properly is a vital first step towards the Met Police regaining women's trust," she added.
