Aidan Burley MP splits with ex Sky TV presenter Helen Boyle But the engagement lasted just eight months, and pals say the writing was on the wall as long ago as December after video footage emerged of the 33-year-old MP at a friend's Nazi-themed stag party in the French Alps. Shamed Mr Burley confirmed the split in a brief statement. "Mr Aidan Burley MP and Miss Helen Boyle have decided with regret to end their engagement," it read. This is not related to recent events, no other party is involved and the decision is fully amicable. No further statements will be made and publications are kindly requested to respect Miss Boyle's privacy. Friends of the couple said they were not surprised by the news, and suggested that the couple had been 'drifting apart' for some time. One said that Helen, a fashion presenter for Sky TV, had been 'wounded' by the revelations from the infamous stag party. The split comes as yet another hammer blow for Mr Burley, who had been tipped for the top in the Conservative Party, and was once greeted by Prime Minister David Cameron with 'high fives'. The MP's ill-advised involvement in the stag night, at the ski resort of Val Thorens, attracted unwelcome headlines, with pictures of groom-to-be Mark Fournier making a Sieg Heil salute while dressed in SS uniform. The evening was punctuated by chants of 'Hitler, Hitler' and one guest was filmed attempting to raise a toast to 'the ideology of the Third Reich' at the La Fondue restaurant. Mr Burley himself played no part in the racist goading but his very presence at the bash tarnished a career that had promised so much after he took the Cannock Chase seat with a staggering 14.02 per cent swing - the Tories' biggest victory over Labour in the 2010 general election. He suffered the ignominy of being stripped of a top government post and the humiliation of being publicly castigated by his own party. Following the shameful shindig, a party spokesman announced: "Aidan Burley has behaved in a manner which is offensive and foolish. That is why he is being removed from his post as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department of Transport. The job, as aide to the Transport Secretary, had been seen as first rung on the ladder towards a ministerial position. Mr Burley immediately said sorry after a video of the party emerged. He tweeted: "Deeply regret inappropriate behaviour by some guests at stag party I attended and I am extremely sorry for any offence that was caused." Although Helen has declined to discuss reasons for the break-up, friends said she was upset by the stag night scandal. One confided that the couple, who shared a property in upmarket Teddesley, near Penkridge, Staffordshire, had drifted apart some time ago. For nine years, Miss Boyle was resident fashion presenter at ITV's This Morning. She has also worked on Lorraine and Daybreak, This Morning and Gok's Fashion Fix - and is currently a freelance stylist, fashion producer and brand consultant. The couple, who planned to marry this year in the bride's Herefordshire village, initially shared a home in Heath Hayes, in the heart of the MP's new constituency. They moved to Teddesley last year after Mr Burley likened life on the estate as akin to 'living in a goldfish bowl'. He was criticised in some quarters for reneging on a pledge to reside in the area he represents. Last night supporters of the beleagured MP rallied round him. Cannock Chase councillor Jodie Jones, who is a close friend, said: "He's gone through a terribly tough time. It's so unfair; he's a young man who simply made a mistake, yet he's been branded Public Enemy Number One. Miss Jones, who works at Mr Burley's Helpzone, an office where residents can bring concerns to the MP, added: "The feedback we've been getting is that people are tired of it (the 'stag' story) and want to move on, but some people in the media won't let it go. Aidan has gone through a rough time, but has put on a brave face and is busier than ever in his constituency. ends...