Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has come under fire after he resisted calls to offer his support to one of the county's MPs in a row over anti-Semitism.

Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield had been told she was at risk of censure from members of her own association over her support for those protesting at Labour’s stance on anti-Semitism.

She has since been told no action will be taken after she appeared at an anti-racism rally at which she said MPs could strike if the party did not endorse the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism. The party has since done so.

However, the potentially embarrassing episode remains unclosed after it emerged Mr Corbyn refused calls to offer his support for the under-fire MP.

The party leader was challenged at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night by Alex Sobel, the MP for Leeds North, who asked him to condemn the attempt to censure Ms Duffield.

But Mr Corbyn insisted he would not intervene saying it would be “wrong for me to intervene in the democratic rights of any part of the Labour Party".

He is reported to have told the private meeting that it was not his role to intervene in local party disputes.

Mr Sobel's office said the MP would not make further comment but confirmed the issue had been raised at the meeting.

The original motion, signed by party members in Canterbury, criticised Ms Duffield saying members were “dissatisfied at her decision to involve herself with groups and organisations that are campaigning to damage our party, as well as impede its efforts to ensure the right to criticise crimes committed by the state of Israel".

The internal divisions within the association will be unwelcome for the party, which has been desperate to draw a line under a toxic row.

The MP has previously robustly defended her support for those that had urged the party to adopt - as it now has - the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of, and accompanying examples, of anti-Semitism.

Nevertheless, the apparent divisions within the association will be unwelcome, as the party nationally has only recently reached a position on anti-Semitism after a two-year-long saga which has plagued Mr Corbyn.

Ms Duffield tweeted last night: "Overwhelmed by the support I've received today.

"Thank you so much to all who've been in touch or tweeted.

"Luckily, this tiny group of members do not represent my wonderful CLP as a whole and they weren't able to ruin my last day spent with my eldest son before he leaves for Uni."