UKIP have used a fake tweet to attack a Scottish welfare and poverty campaigner.

The party’s official Twitter account targeted Rob McDowall, chair of Welfare Scotland, posting an image which appeared to show him referring to UKIP members as “stinging fat pieces of out of date gammon” in a tweet.

Accompanying the image was a message asking the Welfare Scotland account if they believe “it’s acceptable for their chair to publicly communicate in this manner?”

Almost immediately, however, McDowall said the image was obviously not real. 

“Thank you for tweeting a fake tweet which I have already told the person who posted it, was not sent from the account and has clearly been fabricated,” he said in response to UKIP.

The campaigner added: "UKIP have decided to share a fabricated tweet which they claim was sent from me calling them 'fat stinking pieces of out of date gammon'. At no point did I or any other person tweet that from this account & they've been told that the tweet they are circulating is fake."

Social media users were quick to support McDowall, with several claiming to have reported the party to social media administrators.

Yet the official UKIP account has refused to take down the post.

The original tweet was shared by UKIP MEP Gerard Batten. However, after complaints from McDowall and others, he took down the post, saying: “I retweeted in good faith. If you say its a fabrication I take your word for it and I will delete my retweet.”

It's been a busy day for McDowall, who earlier discovered Alexa's support for Scottish independence. 

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