Police investigate homophobic tweet sent to rugby referee Nigel Owens

South Wales police have confirmed that a homophobic tweet sent to Welsh rugby referee Nigel Owens is being investigated.

Owens, who publicly revealed that he is gay in 2007, officiated England's 55-35 victory over France in their Six Nations finale at Twickenham on Sunday.

According to the Daily Star, following the match, a tweet sent from the account @edrydjames read: "Your a gay c*** awful performance against france tonight, how did england top Wales?"

Owens replied by saying: "You want me to report this homophobic tweet do you?"

It is believed that the user apologised for the comment and claimed that his phone had been stolen, but members of the public opted to contact the police regarding the abuse.

A police spokesman is quoted as saying: "[The investigation] follows a number of complaints made by members of the public. The tweet concerned has now been removed from the page. The investigation is at an early stage."

In November last year, two fans were given two-year bans from attending Twickenham after targeting homophobic abuse at Owens.