POLICE are investigating a social media post threatening to stab a Labour election candidate.

The Facebook message to former Hyndburn and Haslingden MP Graham Jones was littered with four letter words with an image of ‘The Grim Reaper’ or ‘Death@ in the corner.

It said: “I just wanna stick a knife in your chest’.

The message, posted over the weekend as political parties suspended campaigning for an hour in memory of former MP Jo Cox murdered in June last year, was reported to the police by Mr Jones.

It has been condemned by his Conservative rival on June 8 Kevin Horkin and other election candidates.

Former Burnley Labour MP Julie Cooper said: “I have received abuse on social media but nothing like this.

“It is particularly distressing on the weekend we remembered what happened to Jo.”

Mr Jones said: “I reported this because of the online bullying and abuse and threats that many people receive on social media.

“This kind of ‘trolling’ needs to be stopped.

“It’s not about me or politicians but about the ordinary people who suffer this kind of abuse and threats regularly.

“You would think the trolls would not do this on the weekend we remembered Jo Cox but it seems they just continue.”

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “We are aware of the post and enquiries are on-going.”

Mr Horkin said: “This sort of post is disgraceful, appalling and totally unacceptable.”

Ribble Valley Conservative candidate Nigel Evans: “This is appalling language and completely abusive with threatening and deranged behaviour - the worst I have seen in 25 years of being an MP.

“We have strong laws against this and they should be enacted.”

As spokesman for Pendle candidate Andrew Stephenson said he had received similar abuse while a Conservative MP and reported it to the police.

Mr Jones added that he had particular interest in the issue because The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, set up in memory of the 2007 hate-crime killing of the 20-year-old in Stubbylee Park in Bacup, was based in Haslingden in his constituency.