Rochdale by-election: Man held over Simon Danczuk death threats

A man has been arrested over death threats made against former Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk as the town prepares for a by-election.

Mr Danczuk said he had been targeted after being involved in a Twitter row with a local councillor.

The by-election was triggered after the resignation of Labour MP Tony Lloyd, who has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the Greater Manchester mayoral elections in May.

Police said a 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and malicious communication.

Mr Danczuk, who served as the Labour MP for Rochdale from 2010 until his defeat in the 2017 general election, said he had been the subject of a “deluge of threats and abuse” following his Twitter spat.