A SENIOR FA official from Dorset allegedly abused her position by asking to swap FA Cup semi-final tickets in return for an upgrade on a flight back from a Football tournament in America.

Janie Frampton, from Blandford, has been suspended by the Football Association pending an investigation into the alleged email request offering a British Airways employee a ticket for the Liverpool v Everton game in return for his assistance.

Leaked emails allegedly sent by Ms Frampton appear to be offering the worker semi-final tickets in return for a free flight upgrade.

Ms Frampton, the FA’s national referee manager for education and training, made history when she became the first woman to be appointed as an FA regional refereeing manager in 2001.

Daily Mail sports columnist Charles Sale said that he saw emails from Janie Frampton to BA’s Brian Yip when they were forwarded to the paper’s Sports Agenda section.

In the first email Ms Frampton tells Mr Yip that she has secured him two tickets for the Liverpool v Everton semi-final if she and three referees were upgraded on their flight to Heathrow from the Dallas Cup in America. The emails suggest she contacted Mr Yip again using her official FA.com email on the day of departure.

Mr Sale told the Echo: “First of all, this is quite embarrassing for the FA and it’s quite serious.

“The investigation process is still on-going.”

Ms Frampton said: “I am unable to make any comment at this time.”

The FA code of conduct forbids employees from touting tickets.