Rowling thanked police in Scotland for their support after the activists tweeted a photograph of them standing outside Rowling's home in Edinburgh, with the address visible, on Friday.

Rowling said that she and other women who have spoken out on gender issues had faced "campaigns of intimidation", stalking and harassment, but vowed she would not be silenced.

The 56-year-old writer said she had received "so many death threats I could paper the house with them", and that "families have been put into a state of fear and distress" by transgender activists.

"Perhaps... the best way to prove your movement isn't a threat to women, is to stop stalking, harassing and threatening us."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said the force was "aware of this incident" and that enquiries were "ongoing". All three activists had shut down their Twitter accounts by Monday.

Rowling has been involved in a simmering row with the transgender community over her belief that women's sex-based rights should be protected.

The dispute began around two years ago when the author tweeted against use of the phrase "people who menstruate", rather than only women.

The message caused a rift with some of the stars of the Harry Potter movies, including lead actor Daniel Radcliffe, who tweeted an apology on her behalf.

"Transgender women are women," Radcliffe wrote in a post.

In her posts Monday, Rowling said she had been "appalled" to hear from various women who had spoken out on transgender issues, including those with no public profile, and suffered abuse including threats of rape.

"None of these women are protected in the way I am," she said, attacking the "socio-political concept of gender identity" as opposed to biological sex.

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