PIERS Morgan has challenged a Dorset MP, who labelled him a "chicken" on social media, to come on breakfast television for an interview.

On Twitter, a post by North Dorset MP Simon Hoare's account said Mr Morgan, who co-presents ITV's Good Morning Britain four times a week, was acting as a "bully" and "undoubtedly" as a show off.

This came after the former Daily Mirror editor's latest interview with a government minister.

During the broadcast on Tuesday, April 28, Mr Morgan quizzed Victoria Atkins MP, who is a Home Office minister, on the government's Operation Cygnus – a simulation exercise carried out by NHS England in October 2016 to estimate the impact of a hypothetical influenza pandemic on the United Kingdom.

The interview reportedly sparked more than 700 complaints to Ofcom over Mr Morgan's interviewing of Ms Atkins. This came just days after the 55-year-old was cleared by the regulator following around 4,000 complaints over his "well-known for his combative interviewing" of care minister Helen Whateley and health secretary Matt Hancock.

Yesterday morning, Mr Hoare's Twitter account posted: I’m afraid @piersmorgan is not acting as a journalist. As a barrack room lawyer? Yes. As a saloon bar bore? Yes. As a bully? Yes. As a show off? Undoubtedly. He is not a seeker after truth: he’s a male chicken."

In response, Mr Morgan's verified account posted: "If I'm such a 'chicken', why don't you bring your big mouth onto @GMB & see if you get on any better than your shamefully ill-informed Govt ministers?"

Mr Morgan later posted that no government minister's had been put forward to speak on Good Morning Britain today (Wednesday, April 29).