WORCESTER'S Labour parliamentary candidate has backed beleaguered Ed Miliband - signing a letter calling for the infighting to stop.

Councillor Joy Squires has put her name to an open letter which calls the criticism and attacks on the Labour leader "disappointing" and says an "anonymous few" are threatening to wreck his chances of General Election victory.

The letter, which has now appeared on websites all over the internet, features the names of 100 parliamentary candidates, of which Cllr Squires contests one of the tightest and most crucial seats.

We can also reveal how Worcester Labour Party discussed the Ed Miliband saga as its meeting on Monday night, where its members agreed to stay behind the leader.

It follows rumours he could be ousted before the elections amid disastrous poll ratings which have made him the most unpopular party leader among his own supporters, ever.

Cllr Squires said: "We are absolutely, 100 per cent behind him - we had our regular meeting on Monday when all of this adverse publicity was raised and the view was expressed that we need to get behind him.

"At this stage before a General Election, with a smallish lead, but a lead none the less, people are getting a bit anxious."

The letter of support for Mr Miliband follows a move by the city's Labour branch to back brother David's bid for the leadership in 2010.

It says the party has "watched in disappointment over recent days" over the repeated attacks on their leader.

Next year Cllr Squires will take on Worcester's Conservative MP Robin Walker, who holds a small 2,982 majority.

Only last week polling by Tory per Lord Ashcroft suggested she is on course to win the seat.

Mr Walker said: "The letter is slightly surprising given that Worcester Labour Party didn't even support him in the first place."

A YouGov poll has given Mr Miliband a net approval rate of minus 55, with just 18 per cent of voters saying he doing a good job, a worse rating than Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg.

Even among Labour supporters, 58 per cent say they are 'dissatisfied' with him and just 13 per cent of the public think he is ready to be Prime Minister.

In recent days shadow cabinet ministers have given anonymous briefings to national newspapers suggesting his position is under threat.