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Conservatives MPs have arrived in Manchester to a 'hang the Tories' banner suspended from a bridge - with two chilling dangling effigies.

Michael Fabricant, the party's representative for Lichfield, shared an image of the disturbing sign as members arrived for their annual conference.

Writing on Twitter, he said: "What a charming welcome to Manchester and the Conservative Party Conference. These aren't protesters, they’re fascists.

"And these people say they are 'a Government in waiting'. Who will they hang next?"

Some Twitter users suggested the photo had been "mocked up" and was "fake news".

But journalists soon began tweeting their own pictures of the banner.

(Image: pixel8000)

Former Labour candidate for Northampton South Kevin McKeever said: "This is disgusting. Totally unacceptable. This isn’t the USSR."

Blair McDougall, who stood for Labour in East Renfrewshire at the last general election, added: "Good grief. The people who did this probably don't think of themselves as extremists but they are."

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "At around 8.52am on Saturday 30 September 2017 police became aware via social media of an offensive banner over a bridge in Salford.

"Officers attended and at 9.10am the banner was removed. The two mannequins were not at the scene when police arrived.

"Following removal of the banner, police received a number of calls regarding the banner after people had seen the images which were on social media.

"We would like to reassure the public that any instances of inappropriate or offensive behaviour or material will be dealt with swiftly by our officers."

Prime Minister Theresa May will set out plans to build "a road to a better future" for Britain at her Conservative Party conference, hoping to head off a rebellion over her handling of Brexit and the June election.

(Image: @Mike_Fabricant / Twitter)

Weakened by the loss of her parliamentary majority in that election, which prompted some members to call for her resignation, May will try to show she is still the right person to lead the party and Britain.

She will set out her vision of a "country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few".

May first made that promise on the steps of her Downing Street office when she became prime minister just over a year ago after Britain voted to leave the European Union and her predecessor David Cameron stepped down.