Writer Graham Linehan has been given a verbal warning by police following a complaint from a transgender activist.

According to reports West Yorkshire Police told the Father Ted co-creator to cease contacting Stephanie Hayden.

Ms Hayden reported him for "transphobia" after he referred to her on Twitter as "he" and for "deadnaming" her by referring to her by names used before she transitioned.

Mr Linehan said: "The police asked me to stop contacting someone I had no intention of contacting. It was a bit like asking me to never contact Charlie Sheen."

Ms Hayden is also suing the 50-year-old Irish writer, also known for being behind Black Books and The IT Crowd.

Ms Hayden said: "I don’t take kindly to a public figure tweeting about me referring to me as a man and putting my legal name in quotation marks to suggest it’s not valid.”

Harassment warnings are not convictions or cautions, but do appear on enhanced criminal records checks.

Picture: Twitter