Labour has suspended Unite’s assistant general secretary from the party after he tweeted that Home Secretary Priti Patel “should be deported”.

Howard Beckett tweeted the comment after two men were detained in an immigration van in Scotland.

The union official later apologised for the tweet, which has since been deleted, as well as to Ms Patel.

While suspended from the party Mr Beckett is not be allowed to take up his place on Labour’s ruling body.

He sits as a union representative on Labour’s National Executive Committee – a role that requires membership of the party.

Mr Beckett is a candidate in the race to succeed longstanding leader Len McCluskey at Unite, one of the party’s biggest financial backers.

Mr Beckett’s tweet came after the Home Office detained two Indian immigrants in Glasgow on Thursday over “suspected immigration offences”.

He wrote: “Priti Patel should be deported, not refugees. She can go along with anyone else who supports institutional racism. She is disgusting.”

In a later apology posted on Twitter, he said: “My earlier tweet, deleted after half an hour, was never intended to be literal.”

“My intention was to emphasise that racist policies should be rejected and have no place in society,” he added.

“The wording was wrong, offensive and I apologise unreservedly to Priti Patel. No-one should be deported.”

Labour spokesperson had earlier said it was taking the matter “extremely seriously” and pledged “appropriate action will be taken”.

Conservative MP Steve Baker said it was “an extraordinary, absolutely intolerable remark” which must have a “robust response” from Labour.

The BBC has contacted Unite for a comment.