MP Karl McCartney denies 'favouriting' bondage porn tweet

Earlier on Thursday, Karl McCartney's account showed 56 favourites, which were later deleted

Conservative MP Karl McCartney has denied "favouriting" a pornographic image on Twitter, blaming the site's "security changes".

The MP for Lincoln said he never used the "favourite" function on the social networking site, although there were 56 favourites on his page earlier.

The post was highlighted by political rival Lucy Rigby who herself has been criticised for retweeting the image.

Mr McCartney said he has written to Twitter to complain about its security.

Earlier, he announced on the site: "Took time 2 reaccess @twitter following security changes. Followers know I tweet or retweet & don't use fav button.

"Thx to all who notified me."

The MP, who is married with two children, said in a statement: "It was brought to my attention earlier today by a number of people that a Twitter post from Lincoln's Labour prospective parliamentary candidate showed a pornographic tweet.

"[It] and around 50 other random tweets had been favourited on my Twitter account from the past four years.

"I have removed all favourites from my account, I have reset my password."

Lucy Rigby wrote on her Twitter account: "Someone could do with explaining to our MP that his Twitter favourites are viewable/public"

Following the post, scores of people commented on Twitter.

These included one which read: "Think someone should inform both of you that promoting this kind of material on public sites should be reported."

Another post joked: "Alan B'stard would be proud. I do love politics sometimes."

Labour's parliamentary candidate for Lincoln Lucy Rigby has acknowledged she should have blurred the image on her retweet and has now deleted her original post.

She said the image "was not what residents in Lincoln would expect from their MP".

However, she admitted: "I should have at least blurred it - when someone pointed that out to me I took it down straight away."

"News organisations are using a blurred image and I accept that was definitely the right thing for me to do."