A political journalist has publicly debunked a myth circulating online that he is the nephew of one of the country’s most senior politicians.

Wales Online’s Welsh affairs editor Will Hayward has addressed for the first time a widespread conspiracy theory that First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford is his uncle.

Will, pictured, was first alerted to the rumour three years ago after a reader, who had seen the claim in a comment under a blog, contacted his editor to question whether Wales Online was aware of the alleged familial connection.

His editor then rang him up on his day off to check whether he was in fact Mr Drakeford’s nephew, and “after several seconds of laughing” Will confirmed that he was not.

Wrote Will: “At the time I thought this was just a strange misunderstanding. I didn’t realise that for the next three years I would have to explain that Mark Drakeford wasn’t my uncle so many times I would start to question my own sanity.”

Six months later, while checking Mr Drakeford’s Wikipedia page in connection with a story, he was amazed to discover that under his “personal life” it read: “Mark Drakeford is the uncle of Welsh journalist Will Hayward”.  The claim has since been removed.

Addressing the “bizarre” rumours in a piece on Wales Online, Will wrote: “Clearly as a journalist whose job is in large part to scrutinise the decisions of the Welsh Government, the idea that I am a close relation of Wales’ most senior politician would naturally be viewed as compromising my impartiality.

“I therefore decided not to mention it because it was seemingly only a few people and it was better not to give it the oxygen of publicity. But then over the coming years this lie took hold more and more.

“Does my mum or dad have a secret brother who, instead of growing up in West Bromwich or Northampton, secretly fled to west Wales, learnt Welsh as a first language and became a social policy professor?

“Did I actually spend forgotten portions of my childhood at Uncle Mark’s allotment where he bounced me on his knee, played his clarinet, and fed me his favourite cheese?

“An inspection of the Hayward family tree and chats with many relatives confirmed that I was not in fact related to Mark Drakeford.

“In true Occam’s razor fashion it seems that the simplest explanation was the correct one – people online were talking b*******.

“In the last six months the Uncle Mark rumour has really gained pace. One oddball even made a YouTube video about it and I have several messages a week about it.

“Nothing is a testament to the ability of people to swallow disinformation hook, line, and sinker like that fact that one bloke called Terry tried to argue with me when I told him we weren’t related and said I was mistaken. He literally argued that he knew who I was related to better than me.

“I tell you this tale for two reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, because it is bloody hilarious.

“But also because it shows just how easily lies and disinformation can spread in the social media age as well as how willing some people are to believe anything because it is written on a screen.”

Will has welcomed the response his decision to debunk the myth since he posted his thread on Saturday.

Speaking to HTFP, he said: “I am actually a bit taken aback by how well-received the story has been. I was apprehensive about doing the piece because you don’t want to feed the rumour more but it had become so prevalent I felt I had to do something.

“I think stories like this show how having trained journalists is more important now than ever but also that it is vital to educate the public on critically assessing the information they read and watch.”

The Welsh Government declined to comment when approached by HTFP.