A man has been charged in Scotland for writing an ‘offensive’ tweet about the death of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

The suspect, 35, had allegedly taken to Twitter shortly after Captain Tom, 100, died in Bedford Hospital after testing positive for Covid.

He allegedly made a comment about British soldiers being better off dead, and referenced the Second World War veteran, the Mail Online claims.

The man has now been charged with communication offences, and will appear at Lanark Sheriff Court on February 17, Police Scotland said.

If convicted, he could face up to six months in jail or be given a £5,000 fine. The Communications Act 2003 refers to offences online which might be considered ‘grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character’.

Captain Tom died on February 2, having initially been admitted into hospital for pneumonia and later testing positive for Covid.

The veteran became a national hero during the first lockdown, in which he walked 100 lengths of his garden before his 100th birthday to raise £32,700,000 for the NHS. He was then knighted by the Queen in July.

Following his death, his family faced criticism after it was revealed he had travelled to Barbados at the end of 2020, before the third lockdown was enforced. There were no restrictions on travel at the time.

He did not catch Covid during the trip, and repeatedly tested negative for the virus upon his return from the Caribbean. He had been unable to receive a Covid vaccine due to the medication he was taking.

The money raised by Captain Tom has been spent on a number of different causes, including bereavement support, staff relaxation rooms, counselling programmes and tech to help connect patients with their families.

His achievements have also inspired copycat fundraisers across the country, with a six-year-old boy with spina bifida raising £280,000 by walking every day, and an autistic teenager, 13, raising £1,900 by completing 100,000 steps.

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