Home Bargains is investigating a series of homophobic tweets from a Twitter account in the name of social media influencer and celebrity make-up artist Kate Hayes.
The 29-year-old, from Heswall, has 185,000 Instagram followers and a product range with the bargain retailer, which sells a number of make-up items featuring Ms Hayes' 'KHM' branding.
Recently resurfaced tweets, which were shared between 2011 and 2013 from Ms Hayes' account, use homophobic slurs.
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The Twitter account @katehayesmakeup has since been deleted but appeared to be linked to a number of Ms Hayes' other social media accounts.
Ms Hayes was approached by the ECHO for a comment and said: “I’m not prepared to answer anything. If I’m going to explain myself it will be online, on my platform, on my terms.”
A spokesperson for Home Bargains told the Liverpool ECHO : "As an organisation, we strongly reject homophobia. Our investigation into this matter is ongoing."
In one of the tweets, posted in 2013, the account addressed another Twitter user and said: “your a f****t!!! Haha keep going did you go for a drink and get rid of your head ace [ sic ]? #alcoholic”
A number of Home Bargains customers contacted the discount store on social media regarding the tweets, calling for the retailer to end its associations with the Kate Hayes brand.
One Twitter follower, Louise Henley, said: “With openly gay family members and friends I was upset at how often and casually [the tweets] had used the offensive term 'f****t'. And given her stance on online trolling I was shocked to see [the] abusive tweets”.
The Wirral-based influencer took to her Instagram in response, posting a series of videos at around 7am on Tuesday, January 4, in which she said those complaining had been "triggered" by the tweets.
In a story post no longer visible on the social media platform, she said: “They’ve obviously been triggered again for their own issues and have started up again, emailing brands. Every single brand I’ve worked with."
She added: “I honestly don’t understand these people who I’ve never met, I don’t get, if you don’t like something on Instagram, just unfollow.”
