A Sinn Fein MEP who liked an offensive tweet about DUP leader Arlene Foster has insisted it was an accident.

The tweet compared Mrs Foster to US president Donald Trump and labelled her "hateful, racist, bigoted" and "an orange c***".

Dublin MEP Lynn Boylan liked the tweet on Friday night. It claimed Mrs Foster was to visit Scotland for an Orange Order parade to mark the Twelfth of July.

The tweet read: "So Arlene Foster is going to Scotland for the 12th next week, AND Donald Trump's heading there the same week?

"Typical, isn't it? You wait all year for a hateful, racist, bigoted Orange c*** and then two of them come along at once."

Ms Boylan has since deleted the like on her Twitter account and claims the action was accidental.

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"This was an accidental like that was undone immediately. I had meant to scroll past the tweet and accidentally hit the like button.

"The tweet was offensive, bigoted and sectarian and is not something that I would ever associate myself with.

"In fact, the tweet defies everything I stand for politically and what I spend every working day trying to root out of Irish politics," she said.

A DUP spokesperson called on Ms Boylan to apologise publicly.

"Abuse on social media should not go unchallenged no matter who it is directed towards.

"Lynn Boylan and Sinn Fein should publicly apologise.

"We hope Ms Boylan can explain her reasons behind endorsing vile abuse towards another elected representative, particularly towards the leader of the largest Unionist party.

"We hope this matter is dealt with robustly by Sinn Fein.

"Respect and outreach to the Unionist community has fallen short once again."

The tweet referenced President Trump's upcoming visit to Scotland on July 13 to visit his golf course while on a state visit to the UK.

Mrs Foster recently attended the Battle of the Boyne march in Cowdenbeath, Fife, on June 30, however is not attending any events in Scotland on July 12.

PA Media