A SCHOOL teacher and Sinn Féin councillor has been targeted by a fake Instagram account that showed explicit photos of a woman claiming to be her.
Patrice Hardy, who sits on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, was alerted to the social media profile and ordered its removal.
The fake account on Instagram - a popular photo sharing site - showed explicit images of women that the creator claimed to be the councillor.
The profile, which has since been deleted, also included images of work related to Sinn Féin.
Ms Hardy, from near Aghohill, criticised the anonymous "lowlife" behind the fake profile and warned that it could have had "serious implications" on her teaching career. Following the ordeal the councillor wrote on Twitter: "So today I was alluded to the fact some lowlife had a fake Instagram set up of me with SF photos and explicit photos which weren't of me.
"Social media can be cruel and people can be worse. Just glad it's down now.
"God only knows who was behind, creeps me out not knowing who but I'll be grand.
"To be objectified in such a manner is wrong. Forgetting my role in politics, this profile could have had serious implications on teaching career.
"Instagram, to its credit, were swift in removing the profile."
