A 17-year-old from Weymouth has been arrested after a backlash on Twitter as angry supporters of Tom Daley turned on Twitter user Rileyy69, demanding that he be banned from the social networking site for his vile comments.
After Daley and diving partner Waterfield failed to medal in the men’s synchronised 10m platform diving event at the Olympics, Riley69 unleashed a barrage of abuse on Twitter.
“You let your dad down I hope you know that,” read one bile-inducing message that referred to the death of Daley’s father from brain cancer last year.
Daley responded by tweeting: “After giving it my all… you get idiots sending me this…”
On Twitter, Daley’s legion of supporters reacted with fury, sending Riley69 some choice words and calling for action to be taken against him.
Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield dive in the men’s synchro yesterday
Today a teenager has been arrested in Dorset.
Police said: “A 17-year-old man was arrested by Dorset Police officers in the early hours this morning at a guesthouse in the Weymouth area on suspicion of malicious communications. He is currently helping police with their inquiries.”
According to reports, police were contacted by a member of the public who claimed to know the identity of Riley69.
Daley was left devastated last year when his father died from a brain tumour. Speaking before the Olympics, Daley said his father had given him the inspiration to compete.
According to Daley’s diving coach, the teenager is taking the Twitter troll’s comments in his stride.
