Hitchin man's petition to oust PM rockets

A PETITION started in Comet country calling for Gordon Brown to resign has gathered over 25,000 signatures in a week. Dr Kalvis Jansons from Hitchin posted the petition on number 10 s own website only last Wednesday but it has already proved hugely succe

A PETITION started in Comet country calling for Gordon Brown to resign has gathered over 25,000 signatures in a week.

Dr Kalvis Jansons from Hitchin posted the petition on number 10's own website only last Wednesday but it has already proved hugely successful, rising to the fifth most popular petition on the site.

Dr Jansons said: "It shows people are very, very disillusioned. And the interesting thing is there are about as many Labour supporters, like myself who are disillusioned with Gordon Brown, as Conservatives signing up.

"The party has no chance of winning the election with Brown at its head."

The petition snowballed after Dr Jansons posted a link to the petition on an online register and internet users picked it up and forwarded it on in their hundreds.

The academic mathematician has tried many times to get a similar petition on the site which declares 'petitioners may freely disagree with the Government or call for changes of policy'.

"It was a big battle to get it on in the first place," he said, "But they could see that I was just going to keep on.

He added: "I've had 1,000 emails of support and only one complaint.