THE MP for Barrow and Furness has tweeted for the "sock puppet" instigators of a petition to deselect him to "identify" where they are from.

A group called 'Red Labour Barrow and Furness' started a petition on change.org over the weekend, calling for John Woodcock MP to be deselected.

The petition has so far attracted 2,100 signatures and is asking for a "vote of no confidence" in Mr Woodcock due to "his public unprofessionalism and misconduct".

Mr Woodcock has been criticised for his outspoken views on leader Jeremy Corbyn, telling his 20,000 Twitter followers: "We can't go on like this" and "I hate to break it to you, but Jeremy is not the Messiah."

Many have taken to Twitter and Facebook to question the origins of the petition and those behind the campaign.

Terry McSorley, Barrow and Furness Constituency Labour Party chairman, said: "We have no idea who is behind this so-called Red Labour Barrow and Furness online petition.

"It could be anybody, and the vast majority of comments have come from people living in the leafy south of England.

"John has the unqualified support of the Barrow and Furness Labour Party."