Piers Morgan has revealed how Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family were “hurt” by online trolls in the days before his death.
The 100-year-old war veteran – who died on Tuesday after testing positive for coronavirus – and his family had been trolled for taking a trip to Barbados back in December.
Following Captain Sir Tom’s death, Piers told Good Morning Britain viewers on Wednesday that he had spoken with the NHS fundraiser’s daughter Hannah, who revealed the impact negative online comments have had.
He said: “Hannah told me how it hurt them. It hurt them at a time of their darkest moment with their dad and grandad.
“It just added a little bit more despair, misery and hurt onto what they were suffering as a family.”
Piers continued: “I hope you can live with yourselves, I really do because it was despicable and the very worst of this country is some of the stuff I read on Twitter and social media over the last few days.
“We have to do something about this. The idea that people think it’s okay to abuse people like Captain Tom and his family after he raised £39million for this country, for the NHS and they think they can abuse Marcus Rashford and Black footballers.
“They think they can do this with impunity and not suffer any consequences for it, and never think about the misery they inflict on their targets.
“Well, I can tell you, you inflicted it on the Moore family in their darkest moment. You really did make it worse,” he added.
Piers previously branded those who had attacked Captain Sir Tom and his family over their Barbados trip as “disgusting vermin”.
He said on Tuesday morning: “If your first thought is to troll him and his family on Twitter because they took a perfectly legal trip to Barbados, a trip of a lifetime to give him a break… He was offered a free trip and we have no idea if it had anything to do with his subsequent illness.
“We’re in February now, that was back in December, we don’t know that at all.
“But frankly that’s a matter for the family. He did nothing wrong.
“For these disgusting vermin to be abusing and mocking him and his family on Twitter in such a moment... I find it utterly contemptible. What have we become?”
Piers and his Good Morning Britain co-host Susanna Reid were among the first to pay tribute to Captain Sir Tom after news of his death broke on Tuesday afternoon.
The presenter wrote: “A magnificent man. A national hero. In our darkest hour since WW2, he rallied Britain with his resilience, courage and optimism.
“Let us all heed his mantra in our own lives: ’Tomorrow will be a good day.’ Thank you, Tom.”
Susanna added: “The man who united and inspired our nation at a moment of deepest despair. Thank you Captain Sir Tom Moore for your service.
“I am heartbroken for your family. A life well lived, and well loved.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.