TEMPERS flared in the Senedd when economy and transport secretary Ken Skates was quizzed over the Welsh Government's position on the renaming of the Second Severn Bridge.

Last month Welsh secretary Alun Cairns announced the crossing will be renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge later this year.

At the time first minister Carwyn Jones said he had known about the proposal but "didn't raise any objections" to it.

But now a letter from Mr Jones to Mr Cairns uncovered by an FOI request by the BBC has revealed the first minister had welcomed the idea and offered to support the proposal and be involved in a formal renaming ceremony.

And tempers flared when Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd quizzed Mr Skates about the letter in the Assembly this week.

Addressing the economy and transport secretary he said: "

Over 40,000 people have signed a petition opposing this proposal, and a recent opinion poll shows that only 17 per cent of the people of Wales support this idea.

"That, of course, entirely contradicts your claim, cabinet secretary, when you said that very many of the people of Wales supported these proposals."

He added: "The first minister’s response in this letter is a long way from the government’s initial response, so I have just one question - has the government misled the public?"

Responding, Mr Skates said: "No."

Clearly angry, he continued: "(Dr Lloyd) could have asked a question about hundreds of jobs that have been lost in the region he claims to represent recently.

"A question could have been tabled on unemployed people.

"No, it was about the naming of a bridge. Not just once, but twice."

He was interrupted by heckles and jeers from opposition benches, forcing deputy presiding officer Ann Jones to turn off microphones and warn AMs to calm down, saying: "Some of you are starting to behave like children, and if you want to be treated like children then I will treat you like children."

Continuing, Mr Skates said: "The people of Wales look to this chamber for relevance - relevance to their lives, relevance to their jobs, relevance to their communities - and instead, we have people in self-indulgent debate on the naming of infrastructure.

"The answer to the question, I repeat, is no."

Independent AM Neil McEvoy also quizzed Mr Skates about the issue, saying: "If you're a royalist, why don't you come clean?

"Why aren't you open and transparent with the people of Wales about this issue?

"You supported it - stand up and say so. Stand up and say so."

Mr Skates angrily hit back: "(Mr McEvoy) knows that I'm not a royalist. (He) knows I'm a republican.

"But what this naming does, it's recognised the contribution that the Prince of Wales has made to Wales and the global profile that the Prince of Wales has.

"I think (Mr McEvoy's) behaviour, once again, is pretty disgraceful - casting aspersions, throwing around claims without any evidence whatsoever."

The renaming has been announced to coincide with Prince Charles' 70th birthday and the 60th anniversary of when he was named Prince of Wales later this year.