Angry lovers who take revenge on former partners by posting naked images of them on the internet without their consent could face prosecution in Britain.

Revenge porn is a growing problem in Britain and the government is open to creating a law against it, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling says.

“It’s clearly becoming a bigger problem in our society,” Grayling told the lower house of parliament.

“The government is very open to having a serious discussion about this with a view to taking appropriate action … if we can identify the best way of doing so.”

Several US states have made it a crime to post sexually explicit or nude images of people online without their consent amid growing anger towards websites dedicated to publishing such content, often submitted by ex-partners.

Grayling spoke after several members of parliament called for a change to the law to make the practice a crime.

“The dissemination of these images have ruined lives, destroyed careers and caused untold psychological damage,” read a motion signed by nine MPs, calling for action on the issue.