George Mitchell: scholarship set up to honour ex US senator for work in NI to be renamed over Epstein links

George Mitchell's name is to be dropped from a scholarship programme set up to honour the former US Senator for his work in Northern Ireland - because of his links with disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The US-Ireland Alliance said that the George J Mitchell Scholarship Programme would no longer bear his name.

Mr Mitchell chaired the negotiations which led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.

The US-Ireland Alliance said its board of directors had unanimously agreed to drop the former senator's name "due to new information that has come to light as part of the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein by the department of justice on Friday".

The scholarship sends US postgraduate students to Irish universities and was set up to honour Mr Mitchell for his work in Northern Ireland.

Trina Vargo, founder and president of the US-Ireland Alliance, said: "We are extremely proud of the programme and the scholars, and this turn of events in no way diminishes their achievements or our commitment to keeping them connected to the island, the alliance, and each other.

"This decision allows us to focus on our mission to strengthen the ties between the US and the island of Ireland.

"Given the current state of the relationship, that is more important than ever."

Mr Mitchell has previously said he regrets having met and known Epstein and said he had no knowledge of any of his illegal actions.