AN aide to Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns has been suspended from his role following a social media tweet which said he told EU vote campaigners to **** off.

Ross England was also the Conservative candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan in the recent National Assembly election and Mr Cairns' campaign manager.

But he had displayed a Brexit-supporting national newspaper front page in the politician's constituency office window before tweeting that he had told StrongerIn campaigners to f*** off.

Mr Cairns is a support of the Remain campaign to stay in the European Union, but Mr England has backed the VoteLeave campaigners.

A disciplinary process is now said to be underway.

A spokeswoman for Mr Cairns said: "A member of staff was suspended on Wednesday 15 June when an internal disciplinary process began."

A copy of a Sun front page with the headline BeLeave in Britain was displayed in a front window at the Secretary of State’s office on High Street, Barry.

A Labour Remain campaigner tweeted Mr Cairns a message which said: “Copy of Sun’s vote leave front page in @AlunCairns office window – are you still voting #Strongerin? #mixedmessages"

Mr England tweeted the campaigner and his boss, Mr Cairns saying: “Left there by over-enthusiastic activist. Now removed. Thanks for pointing it out”

The Remain supporter then tweeted Mr England again asking: “So @voteleave are using @AlunCairns office as a base for their activities?”

Mr England responded: “Certainly not! We had a call from @StrongerIn yesterday asking us to distribute signs and told them to **** off” The swear word was written in full.

The Remain campaigner tweeted back: “Charming! Was the call taken in your role working for @AlunCairns or for @voteleave – conflict of interests?”

Labour’s Jane Hutt defeated Mr England – with a majority of 777 votes - in last month’s Assembly election.

Mr England said: "I accept full responsibility for the misjudgement on my part. I have apologised to Alun Cairns and would like to apologise to anyone else who has taken offence."