THIS weekend, much of the sporting community is boycotting social media.

Clubs, players, broadcasters and media from sports including football, cricket, rugby union and more will go dark on social media platforms from 3pm today to 11.59pm on Monday.

Dorset Echo Sport and its reporter, Neil Walton, stand in solidarity with those who have suffered through online abuse.

This season, shocking online abuse has been aimed towards Weymouth manager Brian Stock, some Terras players and the club’s board.

Up the road in Bournemouth, Cherries’ players Junior Stanislas and Jefferson Lerma were the targets of discriminatory abuse and death threats respectively.

This behaviour has no place in Dorset and no place on this planet.

Nobody, in any profession, should have to turn up to work fearing abuse or discrimination.

We believe more can be done to help eliminate abuse on social media platforms.

In response, we will be observing the social media blackout this weekend, united with many clubs in Dorset such as Weymouth, Dorchester Town and Portland United.

We will still report on Weymouth’s matches against Woking and Barnet, plus the opening day of the cricket season.

Our coverage continues on www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport but we must take this stand.

Enough is enough.