CRIME involving Facebook and Twitter has increased almost seven-fold in Gloucestershire since 2008.
In the past four years, police have gone from dealing with four incidents a year to nearly 30.
Nationally, 650 people were charged this year with crimes relating to social media use, out of 4,908 reported incidents involving Twitter and Facebook.
Five of those charges were in Gloucestershire, where 27 incidents were reported.
Twitter crimes to have made the headlines here include Gloucester resident Frank Zimmerman taunting former MP Louise Mensch and ex-Gloucester City FC player Lee Smith comparing killing illegal immigrants to a computer game.
Chief Constable Andy Trotter, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on communications, said the rise may lead to "Twitter squads" being set up.
In the past four years, police have gone from dealing with four incidents a year to nearly 30.
Nationally, 650 people were charged this year with crimes relating to social media use, out of 4,908 reported incidents involving Twitter and Facebook.
Five of those charges were in Gloucestershire, where 27 incidents were reported.
Twitter crimes to have made the headlines here include Gloucester resident Frank Zimmerman taunting former MP Louise Mensch and ex-Gloucester City FC player Lee Smith comparing killing illegal immigrants to a computer game.
Chief Constable Andy Trotter, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on communications, said the rise may lead to "Twitter squads" being set up.