CLAP For Heroes, which was established last year as Clap For Our Carers, is back for lockdown three to show appreciation for all the emergency and health workers who have been fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The return of the weekly ritual has been met with a mixed response, but this gathering of nuns showed their gratitude as they sang and clapped outside St Anthony’s Convent of Mercy in Sunderland last night.

The founder of Clap for Carers distanced herself from the newly relaunched Clap for Heroes after being targeted with “hateful” abuse on social media.

Annemarie Plas, a 36-year-old mother-of-one, said that although the clap should still go ahead at 8pm on Thursday, she had opted to distance herself from the planned applause and “will no longer seek to raise further awareness of it”.

In a statement, released on the Clap for Heroes Twitter page, she said: “Since announcing the return of the applause yesterday, I have been targeted with personal abuse and threats against myself and my family by a hateful few on social media channels.

“Irrespective of their views and reasons for believing this is an acceptable way to behave, I did not set out to make a political statement and will not put my loved ones at risk.

“I have no political agenda, I am not employed by the Government, I do not work in PR, I am just an average mum at home trying to cope with the lockdown situation.”