FEW people can muster up any surprise about the death of Amy Winehouse.

Her life has been on a deadly, downward spiral for years, with all its latest alcohol and drug-induced miseries played out in the public glare.

But why has the death of anyone at the age of 27 got to arouse the nastiest kind of people who roam the chatrooms and websites of cyberspace just waiting to be thoroughly unpleasant about someone who will never be able to have their say again?

Within minutes of knowing about her death on Saturday, the vicious posts began on social networks - mainly along the lines of how little they cared about someone who cared so little about herself.

They cared enough to join in the nasty, online wolfpack who can't wait to make such comments, though.

Remember the old tradition of trying our best not to speak ill of the dead? Perhaps these people have forgotten the reason for it.

Not the person who has died who cares not a jot for what is said about them now, but for the people they left behind.

And frankly, they have suffered enough.

It appears some believe they can say what they like and hurt whomever they choose when it comes to the internet.

Another case which highlights this worrying trend was the condemnation of 'trolling' by the coroner who presided over the Natasha MacBryde inquest last week.

Cyber trolls post cruel comments and pictures on memorial sites set up online or set up fake sites making fun of their victims.

The Worcestershire girl's family were shocked to find she was the target of trolling after her death.

At Worcestershire coroner’s court, Gerraint Williams was visibly angry as he said: “This appears to be a fairly vile, disgusting habit perpretrated by people who set up fake websites after the death of an innocent person and post foul and disgusting comments on them.

“This person has been found and dealt with but if I had my way he would be here so we could deal with him as well.

“It has caused so much upset for this family.”

Police confirmed in that case someone had been found and prosecuted. It transpired he had no contact at all with Natasha before her death and did not know her.

People who post hurtful things after someone's death should be made to deal with the consequences of their actions - prosecuted where appropriate and made to stand face to face with the families they hurt.

And internet service providers should take a long, hard look at the way they are allowing these vile people to retain their anonymity while their victims have none.