Michael Rosen condemns Northumbria Uni lecturer's manipulated image tweet

Northumbria University is "urgently" investigating after an online uproar over a tweet posted from a university lecturer's Twitter account.

The tweet features an image of Jeremy Corbyn, altered to show him reading from a notorious anti-Semitic forgery.

The accompanying text mirrors the style of the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

The book's author, Michael Rosen, has condemned the tweet as "loathsome and anti-Semitic". The member of staff has been approached for comment.

The image in the tweet has been manipulated to make it seem like the MP and former Labour leader is reading to children from a book called The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion.

The document is a forgery created in an attempt to encourage the anti-Semitic belief that Jews were engaged in a worldwide conspiracy for global domination.

The text above the image in the tweet reflects the well-known wording of Mr Rosen's book, saying: "A nasty, horrible Zionist! We can't go over him, we can't go under him, we'll have to make an effigy..."

In Mr Rosen's story a family go on a walk and find various obstacles in their path, each one greeted with the words: "We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it!"

The children's author posted a screenshot of the tweet, but responded to calls for the lecturer to lose his job by saying he was "not in favour of anyone being sacked over this".

As the lecturer, who is Jewish, has not so far reacted publicly to the furore, it is unclear who the tweet was targeting.

Northumbria University said it was "committed to combating racial inequality in all its forms".

"We are investigating the complaints raised as a matter of urgency," it said.

Mr Rosen was among other Jewish signatories to a 2019 letter backing Mr Corbyn and praising his "consistent support for initiatives against anti-Semitism".