PLAID Cymru's Mid and West Wales AM Simon Thomas has been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images.
Welsh politics was shocked on Wednesday morning when it was announced the 54-year-old had suddenly and unexpectedly resigned as an Assembly Member with immediate effect amid a police investigation.Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed an individual has been arrested and issued a statement which said: "An individual from Aberystwyth has been arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images. The individual has been released on police bail for 28 days."The former Ceredigion MP, who has now also quit the party, was elected to represent the Mid and West Wales area, which includes Powys, in 2011 and returned in 2016.The 54-year-old married father-of-two has been the party's spokesman on rural affairs and was due to attend an Assembly committee meeting at the Royal Welsh Show to launch the party's economic plan for Powys, at the showground, today.Plaid Cymru issued a statement which said there was a criminal investigation into allegations of a serious offence.Mr Thomas' Twitter account has also been removed.The statement by Plaid Cymru chairman Alun Ffred Jones said: "We are aware of a police investigation into allegations of a serious offence. Due to that ongoing investigation it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time."His resignation has been confirmed by the Assembly's presiding office Elin Jones.As Mr Thomas was elected via the regional list, which uses a form of proportional representation to allocates seats to parties, no by election is necessary to replace him.Former AM Helen Mary Jones, was next on Plaid's Mid and West Wales list, and must now decided wether she wants to take the seat in the Senedd.Ms Jones was Plaid's Mid and West Wales AM from 2003 to 2011. She had been the AM for Llanelli from 1999 to 2003.She tweeted shortly after news of Mr Thomas' resignation had broke: "In something of a state of shock. I have now got some big decisions to make in the next few days. I won't be on here a lot. Thanks for good wishes already received."