A man and woman have been charged over allegedly abusive tweets sent to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez.

John Nimmon, 25, from South Shields, and Isabella Sorley, a 23-year-old from Newcastle, were charged with improper use of a communications network and will appear in court on January 7, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Criado-Perez claimed she suffered abuse on the social network site after her successful campaign to have a woman featured on a banknote, which culminated in the Bank of England stating that Regency era author Jane Austen will appear on the £10 note, likely from 2017.

The CPS had consulted police over charging five suspects who are alleged to have sent offensive tweets to Criado-Perez and MP Stella Creasy.

The evidence on one suspect was not believed to be enough to charge them with, while mitigating circumstances including young age and personal circumstances ruled out charging another, said the CPS.

A fifth suspect will face further police investigation before a decision on charging them can be made, it added.