Nicola Sturgeon confirmed a second vote on Scottish independence is being postponed as she announced a "reset" of the timetable set out for another referendum.

The First Minister had said in March she wanted to give Scots a second chance to vote on leaving the UK some time between the autumn of 2018 and the spring 2019.

But she told MSPs at Holyrood: "We will not seek to introduce the legislation for an independence referendum immediately."

Ms Sturgeon had originally argued another ballot over independence was necessary to give Scots - who voted to stay in the European Union in June 2016 - an alternative to the "hard Brexit" being pursued by the Tories.

She insisted on Tuesday that the Scottish Government "remains committed strongly to the principle of giving Scotland a choice at the end of this process".

Ms Sturgeon said having reflected on the issue in the wake of the general election - in which the SNP's share of the vote fell from 50% to 30% as the party lost 21 Westminster constituencies - she wanted to reassure people.

The First Minister said she still wanted to give people a choice at the end of the Brexit process when "clarity has emerged" about how the move will impact Scotland and the UK.

In the meantime, she said ministers would "in good faith redouble our efforts and put our shoulder to the wheel in seeking to influence the Brexit talks in a way that protects Scotland's interests".

The Scottish Government will also work to build "maximum support" for the proposals it set out at the end of 2016 - which argued for both the UK and Scotland to remain part of the European single market with "substantial new powers" for Holyrood.

"We will do everything we can to influence the UK in that direction," Ms Sturgeon said.

She added that when negotiations with the EU are complete and "when the terms of Brexit will be clearer", ministers would come back to the Scottish Parliament to "set out our judgment on the best way forward at that time".

This statement, which is likely to happen next autumn, would also set out the Scottish Government's view on "the precise timescale for offering people a choice over the country's future", Ms Sturgeon said.

To help the Scottish Government influence Brexit talks, Ms Sturgeon restated her plea for SNP ministers to be at the table - and challenged the other parties at Holyrood to back her.

She said: "The Scottish Government will stand the best chance of positively influencing the Brexit outcome if we are at the table, with the full backing of our national Parliament, arguing for the sensible option of staying in the single market.

"So, join us now, with no equivocation.

"Back the demands for the democratically-elected Scottish Government to be at the table, able to influence the UK's negotiating strategy and for Scotland and the UK to stay in the European single market."