THE campaign to oust Alistair Carmichael as an MP took another twist as an SNP activist launched a bid to have him removed from his position as a Kirk elder over his role in leaking a private memo about Nicola Sturgeon.

A Twitter account for the SNP's Lossiemouth, Hopeman and Burghead Branch revealed that it was planning to complain to the Church of Scotland with a view to forcing the Liberal Democrat, who has been under pressure to resign as Orkney and Shetland MP following revelations that he authorised a leak of the civil service document, out of the voluntary religious role.

The tweet read: "According to Wikipedia #CarmichaelMustGo is an ordained Elder of The Church of Scotland - which parish/presbytery - anyone know?"

The user later stated explicitly they were planning on launching a bid to have Mr Carmichael removed from the post which typically requires involvement in administrative church affairs.

They added "the Kirk session is a court" and the institution would be "bound by Church law to investigate a complaint against an elder".

However, after the Twitter account was brought to the attention of SNP HQ, it was closed down as the party distanced itself from the move.

A spokeswoman said: "This tweet does not represent the view of the SNP or the branch."

It comes as supporters of Mr Carmichael complain of a "witch hunt" against the former Scottish secretary, who has faced growing calls to resign following revelations that while in Government he leaked a memo which claimed Nicola Sturgeon had told the French Ambassador she wanted David Cameron to be re-elected Prime Minister. He then denied he had been behind the passing of the document to the press.

He apologised and accepted the claims included in the document were inaccurate after a Cabinet Office inquiry found he had authorised the leak, but has signalled his intention to continue as an MP.

Tavish Scott, a former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, this week condemned Mr Carmichael's behaviour but spoke of an "increasingly personal and unpleasant" campaign against him orchestrated by the SNP.

Earlier this week, Downing Street, when asked if the Prime Minister was aware of the memo before publication, referred to the findings of the inquiry into the leak led by Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood.

Sir Jeremy's investigation concluded that the only people "who had any involvement" in the leaking were Mr Carmichael and his then special adviser, Euan Roddin.

This still left open the question as to who, if anyone, was made aware of the memo before it was leaked.

Asked if either Mr Cameron or Mr Mundell knew beforehand, a well-placed Whitehall insider told The Herald: "I can categorically say they did not. No blue knew."

The source claimed that the leaking of the memo was a purely Lib Dem exercise, which took place during the General Election campaign. "It was badly handled," he said.

The insider added that the PM, who made political capital out of the revelations contained in the memo, was very angry when he learned they had come about because of an official leak from the Scotland Office. The leak was published in the Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph.

The memo was a written record, made by a UK Government civil servant, of a conversation in March between Nicola Sturgeon and Sylvie Bermann, the French Ambassador to the UK.

It claimed that the First Minister had told Mme Bermann that she wanted Mr Cameron to remain as Prime Minister.