The Labour leader has defended TD Joe Costello after a photo emerged of him posing with gangster Gerry Hutch.

It comes in the midst of a gang feud in Dublin involving the Hutches that has led to two recent murders.

Joan Burton said that Deputy Costello didn't know it was Mr Hutch he was posing with.

She also claims that the photo has been cropped to make it more incriminating.

Page 1. The hits just keep coming for Labour. Former Minister Joe Costello and The Monk #GE16 pic.twitter.com/WNZ9NF66Dn

— John Lee (@leeofthemail) February 13, 2016