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This is the first picture of a Tory Cambridge University student caught on camera setting fire to a £20 note in front of a freezing homeless man.

University of Cambridge student Ronald Coyne, wearing a white bow tie and tails, attempted to torch the banknote in front of the rough sleeper.

Video shared on Snapchat shows the young toff struggling to light the note while the camera pans to the homeless man, as first reported on The Tab.

Coyne, a distant relative of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, is heard saying "some homeless shelter" before the clip cuts out.

The footage is said to have been filmed outside an outdoor clothes shop in Cambridge city centre in the early hours of February 2.

The Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA) confirmed Coyne was their communications officer and said his membership had been "revoked immediately following news of the allegations reaching [its] committee".

A CUCA spokesman said the student's behaviour was "disgusting and abhorrent".

He added: "The CUCA committee became aware of serious allegations against Ronald Coyne late last week concerning his private behaviour.

"There is no room for people who behave like that in our Association, any other University Association, or frankly our University.

"This disgusting and abhorrent behaviour occurred completely independently of CUCA, and did not take place before or after any CUCA event."

Ex-cabinet minister Ken Clarke is a former chairman of the CUCA, while ex-chief whip Andrew Mitchell and Lord Speaker Lord Fowler are both still Honorary Vice-Presidents.

The Honorary President is prominent historian Andrew Roberts, author of 'Napoleon the Great'.

(Image: SnapChat)

It has been rumoured that burning a £50 note in front of a homeless person is one of the initiation ceremonies of Oxford's notorious Bullingdon club.

A University of Cambridge spokesman said: “The University is committed to respecting the rights and dignity of all members of our community.

"We expect our students to treat others with respect, courtesy and consideration at all times, and the University takes allegations of unacceptable behaviour very seriously."

The university declined to comment specifically on Coyne's stunt.

The student could not be contacted today and appears to have deleted or locked his Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts.

(Image: SWNS)

Coyne is the nephew of the First Minster's sister-in-law's ex-husband.

But Nicola Sturgeon's office denied any suggestion that she and Coyne are close, adding she did not remember ever meeting him.

A spokeswoman said: "They are not really related, the connection is so distant it doesn't even count as a relation.

"There are six or seven degrees between them.

"He might go around saying he is her nephew but he's not.

"She has no recollection of ever meeting him.

"Somewhere along the line his dad is the brother of the ex-husband of the sister of the First Minster's husband."

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