George Mitchell's name is dropped from Northern Ireland peace scholarship due to his links to the disgraced 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 helped to end 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 the sex abuser 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.

After a handwritten letter from 2003 was released in September, in which Mr Mitchell described his friendship with Epstein as "a blessing", he was quoted as saying in a statement given to the BBC that he "deeply regrets having met and known Jeffrey Epstein and all the harm Epstein caused to so many victims".

The statement also said: "During the time he knew Epstein, he had no knowledge of Epstein's actions involving underage girls."