Election 2015: Outrage as Tory social media postings compare Ed Miliband to stroke victim

A Conservative social media account has been deleted and another renamed after they caused outrage by comparing Ed Miliband to a stroke victim.

The official Twitter and Facebook accounts for Campden ward, based in the west London area of Campden Hill of Kensington and Chelsea, have either changed or being removed after they appeared to mock the Labour leader with an "offensive" graphic.

The image parodies the Stroke Association's Act FAST campaign designed to help people spot signs when someone is having a stroke.

Using a picture of Miliband for each of the charity's signs – Face Arms and Speech – the final message declares T stands for "Time to LOL".

The @CampdenWard Twitter account, which shared the picture with the caption "haha #milifandom" was soon deleted. Its Facebook page also changed its name to Parks LND after several users responded angrily to the image, reported PoliticalScrapbook.

Despite changing its name, the original Facebook post can see be seen on the new Park Lnd page. One user writes: "Sick use of a serious graphic. This will be shared far and wide to show people what the Tories stand for."

A second adds: "Making fun of people suffering strokes is SICK!"

Campden's Tory councillors have denied responsibility for the posts, but do not say who does run the social media accounts.

Councillor Catherine Faulkes told the Mirror: "The ward councillors are absolutely horrified by what appeared on our Twitter account.

"We are investigating it. It's incredibly distasteful and we would never have knowingly allowed anything like that to go out if we had any knowledge of it going out.

"I don't want to comment on who operates it. We're investigating them and we're investigating the Twitter account because there's the possibility it might have been hacked."

Patrick Olszowski, head of campaigns and policy at the Stroke Association, said: "A stroke is no laughing matter.

"It kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer, and around 1.2 million people have to live with the devastating consequences of stroke.

"Thinking FAST saves lives. If a person's face starts drooping, they can't lift their arm or they can't speak, it is time to call 999.

"A stroke is a serious medical emergency. With the right care and support, as well as compassion from those around them, stroke survivors can and do make fantastic recoveries."