A MAN who died in Pembrokeshire last year has been revealed as the single largest donor to ever have given money to Irish republican political party Sinn Fein.

William E Hampton died on January 11, 2018 at his home in an undisclosed area of Pembrokeshire.

In his will he left £1.5million to Sinn Fein in two instalments, with £1million paid to the party in April this year, and a further £500,000 paid in May.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Hampton was listed as British on his birth certificate, apparently having been born and raised in London.

He was a well-known supporter of Sinn Fein, having lived in Ireland at different periods of his life.

His career history listed him as a retired motor mechanic and a driver.

Mr Hampton was not married and had no children.

He left some money to friends, but the largest beneficiary of his will was Sinn Fein.

A spokesman for the political party said it had known about Mr Hampton for a long time, and to them the donation was not new information, as the will had been drafted a few years before his death.

They added: “Sinn Fein can confirm that it received a significant donation from a party supporter who passed away.

“We’re obviously pleased that he has chosen to bequest this sum to the party and it’s a positive boost to Sinn Fein in working towards Irish unity and towards our political objectives.

“We are in full compliance with the requirements of the Electoral Commission on all of this.”

The amount left to Sinn Fein in Mr Hampton’s will is the largest donation ever given to a political party in Northern Ireland.

A new law introduced in March allows donations and loans of more than £7,500 to parties in Northern Ireland to be made public, and covers donations from July 1, 2017 onwards.

Did you know William Hampton? Contact us via wtnews@westerntelegraph.co.uk