This is what Peterborough residents will sign in the recall petition to trigger a by-election after Fiona Onasanya loses her appeal

Disgraced MP Fiona Onasanya arrives outside The Royal Courts of Justice for her conviction challenge. The Peterborough MP was jailed for three months after being found guilty of perverting the course of justice by lying to police to avoid a speeding charge. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday March 5, 2019. See PA story COURTS Onasanya. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire EMN-190503-110435001

The petition will be launched 10 days after speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, officially informs parliament of the court’s decision.

Once launched, the petition will last for six weeks, with polling stations open across the constituency. The polling stations will be open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday - but will not be open on a bank holiday.

People wishing to sign the petition will be able to sign in person, by post or by proxy.

The process works in the same way as an election - voters will turn up, have their name checked off to ensure they are eligible to sign the petition, and be handed a signing sheet. The completed sheet will then be placed in a ballot box.

The signing sheet asks residents to sign a box - and reminds voters that they should only sign the sheet if they support the removal of Ms Onasanya.

Each day the box will be checked to ensure the expected number of ballot sheets are in the box. However, the recall petition will remain open for the entire six weeks - even if the required 10 per cent has been reached.

The only way the recall petition can be stopped is if Ms Onasanya resigns, or a general election is called.

If the petition is successful, the petition officer - in this case it is likely to be chief executive of Peterborough City Council Gillian Beasley, who acts as returning officer in elections - will alert Mr Bercow, and the seat will become vacant.

There is no time limit to say when a by-election can be called. By tradition, the whips of the party who held the seat are responsible for calling the election.

Campaigners are able to campaign for or against Ms Onasanya being ‘recalled’ as a result of the petition. Anyone spending £500 or more must register with the Petition Officer, and the limit is £10,000.

A number of online petitions have been set up over the past few months calling for Ms Onasanya to resign. The signatures on these petitions have no impact on the recall petition itself.

More: How a recall petition works