A Brexit supporter has been jailed after making threatening and verbally abusive calls to MPs he thought were trying to delay or stop the UK’s exit from the European Union.

In January this year Robert Vidler, 64, from Harrow, made calls or left voicemail messages at the offices of Nick Boles, Dominic Grieve, Sir Keir Starmer, Nicky Morgan, Barry Gardiner, and Jenny Chapman.

In voicemail messages left for Nick Boles MP, Vidler had sworn at him, said he knew where he lived and threatened to harm or kill the MP if he did not keep his “nose out of Brexit”.

Some of the nine voicemail messages left for Dominic Grieve had contained threats of violence and Vidler said he knew where the MP and his family lived and his schedule.

Sir Keir Starmer had been called “a traitor” and Vidler had threatened to kill the MP for Holborn & St Pancras.

Nicky Morgan had been told “your days were numbered”.

A voicemail message for Barry Gardiner had said “No deal means no deal. The only thing that will be extended is your neck”.

A member of Jenny Chapman’s staff took Vidler’s short call, who had verbally abused the MP and said “we’re leaving the EU” before the call ended.

The offences were committed against the staff who took the calls or listened to the messages. In total there were 19 instances between 8-24 January, 16 of which were voicemails.

Vidler pleaded not guilty to five counts of harassment and three offences in breach of the Communications Act.

But he was found guilty on Friday (2 August) at City of London Magistrates Court of all counts and sentenced to a total of 18 weeks' imprisonment.

He was also made the subject of an indefinite Criminal Behaviour Order preventing him from contacting any MP apart from his local MP and ordered to pay £300 prosecution costs.

Sarah Jennings from the CPS said: “Vidler denied making the calls despite the extensive evidence shown to him during his police interviews.

“His actions went far beyond then just expressing his opinion. Staff felt alarmed by what he said and took his comments as threats against the MPs.”