FARMER Gareth Wyn Jones says he hopes the online troll who sent him death threats can be brought to justice after tracking an account believed to be behind the posts to the United States. 

The north Wales hill farmer, who is a well-known for his television appearances and has a large social media following, received death threats after he shared a post questioning a Llanidloes-based vegan café's use of plant-based alternatives to local cow’s milk. 

Mr Jones shared two photographs of the menu board with his 72,000 Facebook followers, and 37,000 Twitter fans, writing: "Is this Caffi just using plant based fluids and not using natural local milk? Am I wrong? Can anyone help?" 

A heated online argument over the merits of plant-based foods and dairy production followed, while some users accused the popular farming figure of unfair criticism of Caffi Clywedog, the vegan cafe in question which overlooks the Clywedog Dam.

Things took a more sinister turn when Jones, who farms above Llanfairfechan in Gwynedd, found sickening messages sent directly to him, threatening violence towards him and his family. 

The cafe also said it had received threats of “violence and arson". 

One message sent to Jones threatened: “I’ll take out your whole bloodline if that means there won’t be inercent (SIC) animals dying you rape and kill there (SIC) family”. 

Since receiving the messages on Twitter, Jones says he has been helped by contacts in the United States to trace the account of the sender of the most vicious messages to Florida.

Jones has reported the online abuse to the North Wales Police, and he hopes - helped by to the detective efforts of online supporters - the matter can be taken forward by US police authorities.  

“Thanks to people far more clever than me, we know which county he is in, and hopefully the police over there can go and knock on his door,” Jones told The National.

“It is a massive offence, over there, in Florida it could be a custodial sentence or a massive fine. We might find out he’s a young boy sat in some bedsit.  

“I want him brought to justice. Let’s not let these people get away with it.” 

Jones said he’d been particularly angered by the series of direct messages, as they had upset his family deeply. 

“It’s a death threat, and my wife has seen this, and it’s really upset her. Someone has to draw a line in the sand with these people.

“I don’t really care what someone says about me, I’m quite thick skinned, but to say you will take my blood-line out, to send that message - and you think what if somebody is mentally ill? Could they come and shoot or kill you?” 

Jones has sent a message to the account warning he did not wish to engage in further conversation, and he would view continued messages as harassment. 

“Other people were involved and it’s not nice to have other people say you deserved it. 

“It’s okay to have different opinions but to think you have the right to issue death threats, that’s pretty sad in my opinion. 

“It would be really nice to end this with a positive, and for them to be brought to justice for what they’ve done. 

“A lot of this goes on, a lot of trolls making death threats and it could see people taking their own lives. It’s mental health awareness week - what if I was in a bad state of mind? I could have put a rope on a tree and said ‘goodbye’. People have done that. 

Jones says he doesn't accept he invited criticism of the café through his original post, but says he had simply posed a question.

“It would be nice to see what’s been sent (to the café), and I would like to condemn it, and together, say it is not acceptable.” 

Caffi Clywedog had previously posted on its website stating it had received “a torrent of negativity which included online threats for offering a plant-based menu”.

The cafe's manager said its owners now wished to draw a line under the episode, and that it wouldn’t be making any further comment.  

The cafe's statement appealed for people to be kind to each other.