AN official from London's City Hall has resigned after being questioned by police over the Twitter trolling of MPs including Barrow's John Woodcock.

Principal government relations officer Greg Taylor quit with immediate effect after he was interviewed by Lancashire police and suspended from his job. He has since been given a caution for harassment.

Officers had investigated tweets sent from the account @elithebarraboy, since taken down, which prompted a complaint by Labour MP Mr Woodcock to police.

The tweets, sent over a period of months, labelled Mr Woodcock as, among other things, a "halfwit", "gormless", and accused him of socialising with paedophiles.

A number of other MPs were targeted by the account.

Mr Woodcock, MP for Barrow and Furness, said: "The level of bile this account directed at a wide range of MPs was unusual even for an era where Twitter abuse is commonplace.

"I suppose Mr Taylor's position was untenable given his job was to build positive relations with the very MPs he was secretly harassing.

"I hope Mr Taylor is able to find peace from whatever frustration or sense of inadequacy led him to create this twisted alter-ego. But most importantly, I hope his case serves as a warning to others who use the internet as a mask to whip up hatred while remaining anonymous."

A spokeswoman for Lancashire police said: "A report of online harassment was initially made to Cumbria police who traced the tweets to a Twitter account that was set up in Penwortham.

"The report was passed to us and, following our inquiries, a 35-year-old man from London has now been given a caution for harassment."

A City Hall spokeswoman said: "These are serious allegations. A member of staff was suspended pending an investigation and has subsequently resigned and has left the Greater London Authority with immediate effect."