Premier League referee Mike Dean and his family have received death threats in the aftermath of a series of high-profile, controversial decisions.
Dean, 52, has reported the threats to Merseyside Police and has been asked to not be put in charge of a Premier League match this weekend. He will still take charge of Wednesday's FA Cup game between Brighton and Leicester.
Sportsmail understands the abuse was sent on social media platforms and, while Dean is known to be a resilient character within the PremierLeague hierarchy, the threats to his family were a step too far.