Police probe launched after '˜Jo Cox' threat to MP Anna Soubry

Anna Soubry was a Remain campaigner like murdered MP Jo Cox. Picture: Getty Images

Broxtowe MP Anna Soubry contacted the police after receiving the sinister tweet just days after a man allegedly called her constituency office in Beeston, Notts., saying she was “going to get it like Jo Cox”.

The tweet was posted by a user who misspelled Ms Soubry’s name and wrote: “Someone jo cox Anna Sourby please”.

Ms Soubry responded by retweeting the post and adding: “This is what has happened to our politics. Tolerance & free speech must prevail.”

She also replied to the tweeter, calling him a ‘troll’.

The account has since been deleted.

Speaking yesterday, the conservative MP said: “I think in the current atmosphere, we get so used to all sorts of unpleasantness.

“I think it’s the fact it’s two in one week that have a very striking similarity. It’s certainly shocked me and my staff.

“I have reported it to the police.”

Ms Soubry was in London at the time her constituency office received the phone call and she says she has reported the matters to both Nottinghamshire Police and the parliamentary liaison team based within the Metropolitan Police.

Twitter users have since voiced their support for Ms Soubry following the threats.

C. Silverstone tweeted: “I think he’s about to find out what it’s like to not be anonymous. #cops”.

Peter Savage wrote: “Looks [he] has closed his account”.

Mrs Cox - who like Ms Soubry was a Remain supporter in the EU Referendum - was fatally shot and stabbed outside her constituency office in Birstall, West Yorks., in June.

Thomas Mair, 43, was jailed for life last week for her murder, which a judge said was inspired by white supremacism.

A report from Nottingham Trent University and Birmingham University found more than 50,000 offensive messages celebrating Mrs Cox’s murder were reportedly posted on Twitter in the month following the MP’s death.

Academics found that the top 20 words used to describe Mair and Mrs Cox were ‘hero’, ‘patriot’, ‘white power’, ‘rapists’ and ‘traitor’.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Nottinghamshire Police has received reports of threats made to an individual. Nottinghamshire Police takes reports of this nature very seriously and an investigation is underway.”

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “The malicious communications via social media were flagged up to us on Friday morning. The victim is based in the Nottinghamshire area so the allegation has been passed to Nottinghamshire Police.”