โ€œMy health is terrible right now (donโ€™t be fooled by the glowing tan โ€“ itโ€™s from a bottle) and after having two separate letters along the lines of โ€˜Die You Bitchโ€™ delivered to my home address, I am making the decision to step back, for my own sanity and also the safety of my seven year old son.

โ€œThere are other reasons, too, my arthritis has left me crippled in bed more than once this week, and I feel throwing all of my energy into a personal campaign is the fastest way to burnout I can possibly imagine.

โ€œI will use what energy I have to stay behind the Save Southend A&E Campaign, as I already have done, on political reporting and activism, and on having a good time with my boy.

โ€œThere will come a time when I have all guns blazing for this fight from the inside, but this isnโ€™t it.

โ€œI have spent the last two weeks having dozens of friends telling me how disappointed they are in me like I did a big bad terrible thing, when my sole motivation was to highlight the hospital campaign.

โ€œPeople who genuinely know me โ€“ not the ones that just read some shit in the press โ€“ know I am cripplingly shy, anxious, wonโ€™t even open my own front door most days.

โ€œThe limelight is not where I want to be, and nobody deserves threats stuffed through their letterboxes.

โ€œI remain, as ever, a National Health Action member, a Womens Equality Party member, and a Labour supporter, and will happily quietly deliver as many damn leaflets as you all want.

โ€œJust none with my face on thank you very much.โ€