University of Southampton students' union president Emily Dawes caused outrage when she tweeted that she would paint over a war memorial because it 'shows only white men'.

She faced considerable backlash and was suspended from her £20,000 per year post for an indefinite amount of time.

Despite tens of thousands signing a petition calling for her to be permanently removed from her post, it has now emerged she will return to work the day after Remembrance Sunday.

Emily Dawes in her position as president at the University of Southampton's student union

Dawes become embroiled in controversy at the end of October after she tweeted: 'Mark my words - we're taking down the mural of white men in the uni Senate room, even if I have to paint over it myself.'

Both Dawes and the students' union apologised for her comments after she was accused of abusing the free speech the soldiers fought and died to protect.

Yet still she will take command of University of Southampton Students' Union come Monday, the Tab are reporting.

The petition calling for Emily Dawes to be removed from her position permanently has nearly 21,000 signatures after being live for just two weeks

Dawes (right) at a boat party with a friend. She was suspended from her job at student's union

An anonymous 'SU insider' told the publication the news and also said that he couldn't comment on the university's position on the Emily Dawes tweet for 'legal reasons'.

Dawes has family in the US but is believed to be in the UK after being pictured online celebrating at a friend's party last night in Taunton, Somerset with a group of sabbatical officers from the same students' union.

Evie Reilly, Vice President for Democracy and Creative Industries at SUSU, endorsed Emily's tweet last month, saying 'I'll bring my paint brush!'

Emily Dawes' tweet about painting over the Rothenstein mural caused outrage last month

The Rothenstein Mural at the University of Southampton was the subject of Ms Dawe's tweets

Dawes was criticised when she said the mural should be painted over because it contains only 'white men'. Pictured campaigning outside Downing Street

Her tweet has since been deleted and she has continued to work at SUSU whilst Ms Dawes is on indefinite leave.

Ms Reilly is yet to make a public statement or apologise for her remark despite people demanding she breaks her silence online.

An insider from the University neither confirmed or denied whether Ms Dawes would return and the students' union have remained silent except to say the will release a statement in due course.

Ms Dawes enjoying a night out in Southampton. Her war mural tweets caused outrage

Steve Gore, the sports VP at the students' union posted this message in the wake of Dawe's tweets

Dawes tweeted: 'Mark my words - we're taking down the mural of white men in the uni Senate room, even if I have to paint over it myself'

The university source told Mail Online: ‘The student’s union are their own organisation with their own governance system.

'We are a separate organisation and we liaise with union officers but they are, in effect, self-governing.

‘Because she’s an employee they’ll deal with the matter so we don’t know when she’ll be back. We’re supportive of what they do and are waiting to see the result of their governance.’

At the time of the controversy, a spokeswoman for the Royal British Legion said the charity respected Ms Dawes' right to express her opinions.

The Rothenstein Mural was painted in 1916 'as a memorial to members of the British universities serving in the Great War'.

Lucy Carter, the granddaughter of mural artist Sir William Rothenstein, said of Ms Dawes's comments: 'I think it's very sad, people trying to change history.

'It's sad that people should be overtaken by these concerns. Painting over it would be unnecessary.'

Southampton MP Royston Smith, who served in the RAF for ten years, said the SU president's tweet was 'disappointing' considering the soldiers were defending the free speech which she was exercising.