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The University of Exeter has confirmed that it is no longer associated with one the directors of scandal-hit Cambridge Analytica.

It was revealed by DevonLive.com on Wednesday that the company's managing director Mark Turnbull was an honorary fellow at the Exeter University Strategy and Security Institute.

The university confirmed on Thursday that his status has now been revoked.

A University of Exeter spokesman said: "We have written to Mark Turnbull to confirm we are revoking his Honorary Fellow status."

Mr Turnbull boasted of using honey traps, fake news campaigns and operations with ex-spies to swing election campaigns around the world during secret recordings by Channel 4 News.

He was described on the University of Exeter website as an 'experienced communications consultant'. There was no reference to his work with Cambridge Analytica.

The web page has since been taken down.

Talking about his role with Exeter University's SSI, he was quoted on the website as saying: “I have been privileged over the past eight years to have supported conflict transformation efforts in a variety of operational environments, and seen first-hand the power of ‘strategic communications’ to nurture the emergence of stable, inclusive political orders; to advance ideas and narratives that challenge violent extremism; and to influence and shape complex processes of social change.

"I’m very excited by the opportunity to contribute insights from that work to the interdisciplinary mission of Exeter SSI.”

Facebook banned Cambridge Analytica from using its platform on Friday, days before a whistleblower claimed the company had harvested and stored data about more than 50m Facebook users without their permission.

The company's board then said on Tuesday that chief executive Alexander Nix had been suspended "with immediate effect, pending a full, independent investigation".