Emily Atack got police involved after receiving vile rape threats online

Emily Atack contacted police for help after she was targeted by a persistent troll online who threatened to rape her.

The 32-year-old actor has spoken out on numerous occasions about the huge volume of sexually explicit abuse and harassment she receives on social media — even before breakfast.

Read more: Emily Atack warns fans about social media fakes

She told The Sun that there are a handful of "relentless and disgusting" people who make separate accounts specifically to target her, returning when she blocks them.

Atack said: “I’ve developed quite a thick skin. But when I started getting actual rape threats, and felt my safety was in jeopardy, it became too much."

The star, who broke out after appearing in The Inbetweeners, has called for legislation requiring social media platforms to take more action to protect women.

She said: "It was quite stalker-ish — this person saying they knew where I lived, saying what they were going to do to me, even my family. I got the police involved and it was the last time.

Read more: Emily Atack says online sexual harassment is getting worse

"To be fair, the police tried to be helpful. They cared, but they hit a dead end because they aren’t allowed access to IP addresses and Twitter, etcetera, won’t give them out.

"So I just lost — you put your faith in the police, the people who are supposed to protect you, but I just lost faith in that system. There’s only so much they can do."

Atack has spoken in Parliament about the importance of tackling online harassment, saying she receives around 200 explicit messages every day.

The star said she feels she has to move house "constantly" for her safety and her online experiences have shaped her relationships with men away from screens.

Read more: Emily Atack says her relationship with social media is "tricky"

She said: "I feel like I’ve always thought that I’ve had to be a certain way around men, look a certain way and behave a certain way and I think a lot of the root of my problems stem from here.

"It’s something I’m addressing and in speaking out now, I just hope I can stop even one man from sending an awful, sexual message. Even protecting one woman out there will mean I’ve done some good."

Watch: Emily Atack struggled with virtual dating during lockdown