NEW Brecon and Radnorshire MP Fay Jones has defended herself after sharing pictures on social media of a spring water company’s products which donated £10,000 to her local party.

The Conservative registered the donation from the Radnor Hills water company, based in Knighton, at the start of January. It has said the donation was made to the Brecon and Radnor Conservative Association, rather than Ms Jones, and said she was unaware its products were on sale in Parliament before she spotted the can she shared a photo of her holding.

But former Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd, who used to sit on the Commons standards committee, has claimed the posts Ms Jones made on social media about the firm come near to a breach of the rules.

Ms Jones, who was only elected at December’s general election, has said she hasn’t done anything wrong.

She said: "All I’ve done is take a picture of a product sold by a company in my constituency that has done really well and I’d be delighted to give any business in my constituency that kind of support."

Ms Jones had shared to her Twitter and Facebook pages and photograph of her hold the firm’s can of spring still water in the Commons.

She tweeted on February 11: "Delighted to see Parliament stocking @Radnorhills

water! A brilliant firm in my constituency - employing over 200 people and putting sustainability right at the heart of their business. #RadnorHills."

She also wrote on Facebook: "Radnor Hills is a fantastic firm based in Knighton which manufactures a range of drinks.

"It employs over 200 people and puts environmental sustainability right at the heart of its business plans.

"I was delighted to go and meet the owner William Watkins in November.

"His is a model to follow and I am determined to support businesses which give so much back to our local communities. Well done Radnor Hills!"

The firm had previously donated to Brecon and Radnorshire’s previous Conservative MP Chris Davies.

MPs are allowed to receive donations from "permissible donors" which included companies registered in the UK while the code of conduct for MPs states "no member shall act as a paid advocate in any proceeding of the House".

Former Plaid MP Mr Llwyd told the BBC: ""I think it comes very near to breaching the rule against paid advocacy.

"Looking in particular at the Facebook entry that she had, it’s clear there that that Facebook photograph was taken on the House of Commons premises. I think it should be investigated.

"She is advocating for a company in her constituency - nothing wrong with that, everybody does that.

"But having received a £10,000 donation from that company beforehand, to my way of thinking there is something that needs to be investigated because that can’t be right."

Ms Jones told The Brecon & Radnor Express she doesn’t believe an investigation is necessary. She said: "I’ve spoken to the register of members interests and I’m confident what I’ve done is completely within the rules."Radnor Hills owner William Watkins said: "I can confirm that our donation was made to the Brecon and Radnor conservative association not Fay Jones. This was done before Fay Jones had been elected as an MP. "I did not, and have not since, asked her to promote or advertise our products. We have recently started selling our cans in Parliament (which Fay was unaware of until she saw the products on sale), and she was clearly proud to see products from her constituency on sale there. "Her tweets therefore were in no way something we had suggested to her, or expected from her, and to suggest anything other is slanderous. In fact she should be applauded for recognising and supporting companies in her area, whoever they are."

Last week Ms Jones was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), an assistant, to the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) ministerial team.

She is also due to lead a Westminster Hall debate today on Wales’ contribution to the UK armed forces.