A TWITTER account containing racist, homophobic and sectarian remarks – which belonged to a fisherman photographed with Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson on the campaign trail last week – has been closed down.

It is not known whether John William Buchan, from Peterhead, chose to delete the account – he tweeted as @crouchy197 – or was forced by Twitter to remove it after police were informed by an anonymous complainant about the content.

Buchan’s family own the Atlantic Challenge fishing vessel – the largest in the Scottish fleet – and as a campaigner against the European Common Fisheries Policy he posed for a photo with Davidson in an electioneering stunt this week.

The National exposed Buchan’s views, which contained references to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as “one deluded BITCH!!” and also called on Prime Minister Theresa May to “F-K the Nationlst Bitch!!.

Last August and September, Buchan tweeted that “somebody should take the Nat bitch out” and “somebody take her down please”.

The Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation have still not replied to our questions on whether anyone in those organisations was aware of Buchan’s views. The National has attempted to contact Buchan but he is reportedly not speaking to the press.

A spokesman for Twitter said: “We do not comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons.”