A PLAID Cymru AM has been thrown out of the party's Assembly group over an "irrevocable breakdown of trust".

Neil McEvoy, who represents South Wales Central, was suspended from the group last September over his opposition to the party's support of Labour's policy to scrap the right to buy scheme in Wales.

He has sat as an Independent AM ever since. And now he has been permanently expelled from the group following claims about his suspension.

The AM has vowed to continue "holding the Labour government to account."

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening a spokeswoman for Plaid's Assembly group said Mr McEvoy's comments and behaviour following his suspension had left colleagues feeling "undermined and demoralised".

Accusing the AM of "peddling untruths about the way in which the Plaid Cymru Assembly group operates", she said: “Mr McEvoy is being expelled due to an irrevocable breakdown of trust.

“His ongoing behaviour has left Assembly Member colleagues feeling undermined and demoralised.

"Plaid Cymru representatives' loyalty first and foremost is to the people of Wales. We will not be distracted from our work of serving them to the best of our ability by such deliberate and sustained sabotage.”

Mr McEvoy, who was also suspended for one month earlier in 2017 after a hearing found he had bullied a Cardiff City Council staff member, said: “It is with real regret that I have been forced out of the Plaid Cymru group.

“I was elected to be a Plaid Cymru Assembly Member after votes from thousands of people who wanted me to not do politics as usual.

“My focus has always been on holding the Labour government to account and it will continue to be so. I’ve never been interested in fighting with my own colleagues."

He added he remained convinced Plaid Cymru was the party which could "fix" democracy in Wales, saying: “I’ll keep representing those people who have been left behind and given up on politicians."