Police are investigating racist tweets reported in the aftermath of Friday’s Merseyside derby.
Liverpool’s FA Cup third round win was marred by a heated exchange between Roberto Firmino and Everton defender Mason Holgate late in the first half.
The incident will be probed by the Football Association amid allegations of racial abuse towards Holgate, who deleted his Twitter account in the game’s aftermath.
But Merseyside Police has confirmed that they are also looking into comments made on the social media platform by ‘a number of individuals’ on January 5.
Deputy Chief Constable Carl Foulkes said: “Working closely with Liverpool FC and Everton FC, we believe that hate crime in any of its guises will not be tolerated and Merseyside Police will continue to work alongside our partners to ensure that those responsible for incidents of hate crime are brought to justice.
“Victims can report directly to the police where specially-trained hate crime officers will treat them with sensitivity and compassion, or via third party reporting centres in fire stations, citizen advice bureaus and hospitals where the information will be passed on.
“If someone doesn’t want to speak to the police, they can get support from the charity Stop Hate UK and they will act as a liaison if required. They can be contacted by calling 0800 138 1625.”