Angela Eagle received advice from counter-terrorism police after challenging Jeremy Corbyn's leadership
The Independent can reveal a message was sent directly to Ms Eagle from police security experts over her safety
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Your support makes all the difference.Labour MP Angela Eagle was advised by counter-terrorism police to cancel her constituency surgeries or hold them in a more secure location because of the level of abuse she received after trying to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for party leader.
She stopped holding walk-in surgeries on security grounds, citing police concerns, but was subsequently accused of exaggerating their advice.
However The Independent can reveal the contents of a personal message from a counter-terrorism expert at Merseyside Police, which supports her account of events.
The expert said it would be "a good idea to, if possible, to cancel or postpone these surgeries".
It went on to say if that were not possible, police "would recommend a different location be used that can offer some form of access control or security on site".
It also recommended contacting local police officers about "possible disorder" by people who disagree with Ms Eagle.
Many supporters of Mr Corbyn, including members of his grassroots organisation Momentum, have been critical of her and colleague Owen Smith's bid to remove him.
One man has been accused of threatening to kill Ms Eagle, although no links to any one group have been confirmed.
It comes amid heightened concern about MPs' security following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and ongoing threats to numerous MPs during current Labour leadership debate.
Merseyside Police expressed their support for Ms Eagle's decision to cancel the walk-in surgeries, but said media reports that the police themselves "decided" to shut them down were inccurate, as the final decision had been taken by the MP.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Kenwright said: "We have given Ms Eagle advice about her surgeries, at her request, but the decision to cancel surgeries is not a police matter and would lie entirely with them [Ms Eagle and her staff]."
Opponents of Ms Eagle jumped on this statement to claim she had misrepresented the threat to her safety.
Some of those who took to social media to claim the 55-year-old was "lying" had "I support Jeremy Corbyn" banners on their profiles.
A meme also began to circulate which implied the brick thrown through a window at Ms Eagle's constituency office in Wallasey near Liverpool had been a set-up.
A spokesperson for Ms Eagle said the messages and memes were further attempts to intimidate and discredit the centrist MP.
They pointed out that a man has been arrested in Paisley in Scotland for threatening to kill Ms Eagle.
Mr Corbyn has said he stands for a "kinder, gentler politics" and has called for calm between members of the Party and his grassroots supporters.
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