Fake Jill Mortimer Twitter accounts all claim to be Hartlepool MP

Bogus Twitter accounts have been rowing among themselves over who is the real Conservative MP for Hartlepool Jill Mortimer.

Even the Labour MP for neighbouring Stockton North, Alex Cunningham, was fooled into thinking one, and then another, of the accounts was genuine.

At one point @JillWMortimerMP, @JillMortimerMP and @JillMortimer4HP were all claiming the others were fake.

Mrs Mortimer's office has now confirmed she does not have a Twitter account.

A spokesperson said she had not used the social media site since being elected and that the various impersonations had been reported to Parliamentary Services and Twitter.

The tweets began on Thursday evening and quite quickly Mr Cunningham appealed for help in working out who was who.

Earlier he had mocked one account for its small number of followers.

At this point another account - @JillMortimer4HP - replied to Mr Cunningham to point out the first account was fake and that she was the real MP for Hartlepool, which he appeared to accept.

The two phony accounts then carried on arguing between themselves, with each insisting the other was the imposter.

Mr Cunningham said it was a "bit of fun" and challenged the real Mrs Mortimer to "visit Hartlepool and make herself known".

The confusion continued for about an hour with other Twitter users either joining in the quest for truth, enjoying the joke or, apparently, falling for one or other of the accounts' assurances of legitimacy.

The @JillWMortimer account, whose six followers include another of the fakes, then started the hashtag #WeAreJillMortimerMP.

Much later in the evening, in an equally surreal thread, a Twitter user apparently living in the Wirral engaged with one of the fakes on the subjects of partygate, pineapples and sherry.

By Friday morning @JillMortimerMP was claiming they had applied to Twitter for a verified user blue tick to prove their genuine status as the town's representative.

Given the real Mrs Mortimer's denials that this account is hers, it is expected no blue tick will be forthcoming.