Harry Potter author JK Rowling thanks her supporters over Twitter abuse by trolls

The multi-millionaire writer JK Rowling has written of her gratitude towards those who defended her after she was the target of online abuse.

The 49-year-old wrote: "It isn't always fun being a famous woman on Twitter and I believe in standing up to bullies."

The author revealed she had been called "a traitor" for her political views and had blocked some abusive Twitter users she believed had been supporters of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

She said: "I have ignored and blocked abuse from people with an SNP twibbon [a ribbon on a Twitter avatar] for months on Twitter, very much taking the view that the abusive ones are not typical.

"This week, though, my personal line has been crossed with being called 'traitor' and 's***e' the least of the abuse.

"I feel no responsibility to hush up that kind of behaviour to protect the image of any political party."

In 2008, Rowling donated £1m to the Labour party, saying: "I believe that poor and vulnerable families will fare much better under the Labour party than they would under a [David] Cameron-led Conservative party.

Her personal wealth is estimated at £560m in The Sunday Times rich list.

However, she was attacked for giving £1m to the No campaign against independence for Scotland.

The writer was called a "traitor to Scotland", "Blairite scum" and "an arch-unionist propagandist, feeding a river of hatred".

One user, who has since been suspended, told her: "Go f*** yourself you disgusting slimy Labour c***. All you lefties are finished in this country, especially you JK b****face."

Rowling put her literary talents to good use by hitting back: "The Internet doesn't just offer opportunities for misogynistic abuse, you know. Penis enlargers can also be bought discreetly."

Many of her fans invited her to relocate from Scotland in order to get away from the abuse. An amused Rowling tweeted: "In the last hour I've been invited to relocate to France, Ireland and Brazil!"