Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has backed striker Shola Ameobi to brush off the racist abuse which he was subjected to this week.

Northumbria police have launched an investigation after the 30-year-old was attacked via Facebook just months after his younger brother Sammy, who also plays for the Magpies, was targeted on Twitter.

Pardew condemned the latest incident, but insisted Nigeria-born Ameobi would not be affected by it as he prepares for Sunday's Barclays Premier League clash with Aston Villa. He said: "It's a two-edged sword. There's one side of that that you don't want to see, and it's insulting and everything that goes with it."

Pardew added: "But on the other side it highlights the issue, that it needs to be eradicated from our society.

"The publicity around Shola won't affect him, he's far too big and strong to be affected by that.

"But it's good to have it in the public spotlight and to say it's wrong so young people realise that when they are going on Facebook or social networking sites, that they understand they have a responsibility.

"Hopefully they can understand it is an issue and a problem and they need to leave it alone."