A LABOUR candidate has been forced to apologise and delete a "threatening" tweet about SNP MP Joanna Cherry. 

Frances Carmel Hoole, who is standing against the QC in Edinburgh South West, shared a crudely mocked picture of her holding a bottle of Cillit Bang pointing towards a decapitated Cherry, with the words “Bang and the Terf is gone”.

Terf is a controversial term which stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist”. The image (pictured) sparked fury on social media.

The National:

On Twitter, Hoole said: "I'm standing against 2 people in Edinburgh South West who have been completely complicit in this conversation becoming an upsetting reality. Joanna for SNP + Susan for the Tory's.

“It's a downward spiral + it always was.

“Here's to them both tasting the rainbow on 12th December.”

Cherry shared the image, tweeting: “Earlier this year I received a death threat & a storm of misogynistic abuse for defending #womensrights. The @scottishlabour candidate standing against me in #EdinburghSouthWest thinks it’s funny. I hope she will apologise & engage in respectful debate #GE19.”

Hoole then claimed she didn’t “perceive” the image as a threat.

She said: “You're not defending women's rights unless you defend trans rights. Please respect what you are being told by advocacy groups.

“You should never receive abuse or threats. Not from me or anyone else.

“I didn't perceive this as a threat so I apologise I didn't see it that way.”

She has since deleted the original post.

There was criticism of Hoole’s comments from Susan Dalgety, the ex-Labour councillor and former press chief who served as deputy leader of Edinburgh Council.

She said the tweet amounted to a call to exterminate radical feminists.

“Word of advice, as a @scottishlabour candidate, you should try to have broad appeal...good luck,” she said.

Scottish Labour have already been forced to ditch their candidate in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.

Bill Curran was stood down following a probe into anti-semitism.

On his social media he claimed Labour had been “too apologetic” over the row about anti-Jewish sentiment in the party.

The Susan mentioned in Hoole’s tweet was Edinburgh councillor Susan Webber who had been tipped for the Tory candidacy, however, she lost out to colleague Callum Laidlaw following a fast-track selection process.

She tweeted: "I am still waiting to hear from you Frances as to what I’ve been complicit in? A tweet like you have made deserves an explanation.. further I do not believe I am standing against you but when we meet on the campaign trail, which we will, I will be expecting an apology!"