This publication has never stopped short when it comes to calling a spade a spade. RNLI crew and their legions of supporters are heroes. Those who intimate, threaten or abuse these heroes are cowards.

When our RNLI crew members don life vests, cowards hide behind masks.

When our local volunteers drop everything to answer a shout, their abusers are content to be keyboard warriors, posting vile messages and hatred on social media.

Who would you trust? Someone who risks all to save your life. Or someone who slinks in the recesses of the internet or masses with mates in paramilitary formations because they read it on their phone.

In the past weeks, there have been reports of abuse aimed at our men and women who dedicate countless hours putting to sea to save others.

One Ceredigion councillor has suffered “ugly and scary” online anti-RNLI abuse after sharing a video of the local lifeboat, whose crew once received a gallantry award for saving the lives of a rowing team in difficulty.

The RNLI has issued security advice in the wake of protests in Dover and Portsmouth, which saw the charity targeted for its rescue work bringing some small boat migrants ashore, even advising volunteers and staff not to wear the charity’s branding because of fears of “unacceptable abuse”.

Recently, footage posted on social media showed volunteers being labelled as “traitors” after helping a dinghy to safety in Portsmouth and protests have been held at RNLI sites.

There are the acts not of the patriotic but of the pathetic.

Week in, week out, this publication carries stories from our communities of callouts and rescues, charity work and fundraising for the RNLI.

As an institution, the RNLI has been going about its brave work for more than 250 years, never questioning the call. And over the decades, crews have died in service of mankind.

Until now. And that is shameful.

The mega donations of crypto billionaires would be better served in the coffers of life-saving institutions than funding political intolerance. Political inaction is not a reason for social ignorance.

We fully embrace our RNLI. Shame on those who don’t.