Katie Hopkins: Petition calling for The Sun to sack reality TV star after Migrant article passes 200,000

A petition calling for The Sun to sack Katie Hopkins as a columnist has attracted more than 200,000 signatures in just two days.

The controversial reality star's latest column sparked widespread anger after she described migrants as "cockroaches" and suggested using gunships to prevent them coming to Britain.

It was published two days before hundreds of migrants were feared drowned when the boat they were travelling in capsized in the Mediterranean.

The Change.org petition - which calls on the newspaper's editor to remove Hopkins as a columnist and to stop encouraging "these poisonous opinions" - reached 217,000 signatures on Monday night.

In the column headlined, "Rescue Boats? I'd use gunships to stop migrants", Hopkins wrote: "Show me pictures of coffins, show me bodies floating in water, play violins and show me skinny people looking sad - I still don't care.

"Because in the next minute you'll show me pictures of aggressive young me spreading like norovirus on a cruise ship."

Comedian Russell Brand was among the high-profile figures to condemn the 40-year-old's comments.

She also found herself under attack from a listener when she presented a segment on LBC on Sunday.

Hopkins vehemently defended her stance but claimed she had been "widely misquoted" in the press.

"Why do we take on everyone else's problem? We don't really address immigration as a country - our politicians are frightened to go near it.

"I'm naturally not that frightened at all and nor am I inclined to tow the PC line."

We can't afford to take on the problems of the world - I do believe these boats need pushing back."