Line of Duty star Martin Compston has shamed a social media troll after he was the target of sectarian abuse.
Compston, a Catholic who is known for portraying Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in the BBC drama, highlighted the vile abuse he received, pointing out that the troll behind it had previously expressed support for anti-racism initiatives, as well as calls for an end to ‘bigotry in football’.
In the post, the troll, a Rangers fan whose account has since been deleted, branded the actor a ‘Fenian ****’.
However, Compston, a Celtic supporter, shared the post and pointed out that the Twitter user had retweeted Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu’s support for team mate Glen Kamara’s anti-racism post.
Kamara’s post simply stated: ‘Enough is enough’ and had a statement attached from his lawyer concerning racist abuse he allegedly suffered during Rangers’ recent Europa League game against Slavia Prague.
The statement begins: “There is no place for racism or any form of bigotry in football.”
In his response, Compston pointed out the irony in the Twitter user sharing such a statement before spouting abuse.
‘Here’s the bold @billymanc a man concerned with racism and discrimination. Unless you’re a Catholic of course. Enjoy your day billy bhoy,’ he tweeted.
Compston, who was born in Greenock, Scotland, has previously received sectarian abuse online, including being called a ‘bead rattling ****’ in 2019.
However, he received praise for his calm response to the troll, in which he wrote: ‘Go in peace my son.’
In response, one fan wrote: ‘Well said Martin. Don’t rise to it.’
The most recent abuse comes after Compston revealed he gets targetted by trolls on a daily basis.
“I get abuse daily on Twitter but you kind of put up with it. It’s where we’re from, you’ve got to have a thick skin. But it’s not fun at times, it can go a bit dark,” he told the Blethered With Sean McDonald podcast.
The actor admitted that it bothers him when people “talk about something serious” despite having no idea of his personal life.
Line of Duty season six airs on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm.
Picture: Martin Compston in action as DS Steve Arnott. (BBC/World Productions/Steffan Hill).
