Members of the public, media commentators and politicians reacted with outrage on Friday to the Sun's coverage of the death of Oscar Pistorius's girlfriend.

On Friday morning, the British tabloid ran the story on the front page, but used a large picture of Reeva Steenkamp in her bikini – prompting howls of outrage on social media channels.

Vanessa Raphaely, the editorial director of CosmopolitanSA, tweeted a picture of the cover, along with the words: "The UK Sun, it appears, do not get what is wrong with this."

John Prescott, the former deputy leader of the UK's Labour Party and former UK deputy Prime Minister, directed his tweet at Sun owner Rupert Murdoch:  "A new low for your paper The Sun. Do you really think this is appropriate?"

He later tweeted: "I really hope every member of the Shadow Cabinet thinks twice before writing for The Sun after that front page #HerNameWasReevaSteenkamp."

Other commentators joined in the condemnation of the newspaper:

@PoppyD: There are no words for how disgusting The Sun are for running this front cover today

@jackiekabler: Huge backlash today about the #Sun front page. Is this the most inappropriate picture ever of a murder victim?

@ PennyRed: The Sun's front page today is the best possible example of how tabloid culture sees women. Disgusting

Newspaper columnist Suzanne Moore argued that the Sun had hit "a new low", and labelled their coverage "lechery over a corpse”.

Many more Twitter users posted tweets using the hashtag  #HerNameWasReevaSteenkamp:

@ RosieMKane: Dear media...#hernamewasreevasteenkamp and not "his girlfriend" or "his model girlfriend"...

@carolynleckie: It's not just the Sun. It's mainstream. End misogyny. #hernamewasreevasteenkamp

@eetempleton: News today: Pistorius wept in court. You know who also wept? People who loved the woman found dead on his floor. #hernamewasReevaSteenkamp

@KatOrphanides: #HerNameWasReevaSteenkamp and she was not just a pretty face and a hot body to plaster over the front page,

Others encouraged those who felt the cover was distasteful to sign a petition demanding that the Sun apologise for the cover. The petition was posted on change.org.

However, others defended the tabloid, including its former deputy editor, Neil Wallis. In a number of tweets he defended the cover, saying: "The family were immensely proud of the career she forged for herself. Should they be ashamed now of that picture?"

"She was a FHM top model. If it was Michael Phelps he'd be in his swim gear, Arnie showing his muscles etc etc"

Former Sun editor Stuart Higgins has also flown to South Africa to help with Oscar Pistorius's public relations, Guardian journalist David Smith tweeted.