Socialist tweeter was UMP member

A UMP party member pretended to be a delegate at the Socialist Party national conference, making comments on the micro-blogging site Twitter, it has emerged.

According to Le Monde the Socialist Party set a trap for Solférinien (named after the street where the party has its headquarters) and discovered the account was held by a member of the governing UMP party.

The party created an application which purported to allow access to the Socialist Party's internal network.

Solférinian was sent a private message via Twitter offering use of the app to view supposedly damaging material. All that was needed was his email.

The email sent was that of the UMP party webmaster.

A statement from the UMP said: "The UMP did not order this internet operation to smear the Socialist Party."

The UMP was also victim of an internet hoax on the day its offices were raided by police investigation charges of illegal party funding.

A tweet reporting to be from the youth movement Jeunes UMP said: "For sale: document burning stove, nearly new (bought 24 hours ago), well used."