More than 24,000 Scots were hospitalised because of their drinking last year, with people from the most deprived areas nearly eight times more likely to need that kind of help than those in the most affluent areas.

NHS statistics for 2016-17 revealed there were 36,235 alcohol-related hospital admissions - the equivalent of more than 100 every day.

These involved a total of 24,060 individual patients - up from the 35,376 admissions involving 23,656 patients recorded in 2015-16.

While the rate for alcohol-related admissions to hospital had been falling for almost a decade, the figures for 2016-17 showed this increased to 685.2 hospital stays per 100,000 people.

A new NHS statistical report said: "In 2016-17 the alcohol-related stay rate per 100,000 population in general acute hospitals was 685.2, an increase compared to the previous year (673.2). Prior to this there had been a steady decline in alcohol-related stays since 2007-08."

People living in the most deprived parts of Scotland were nearly eight times more likely to be admitted to a general hospital because of an alcohol-related problem in 2016-17, the figures showed.

This group was also over 15 times more likely to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital because of drinking than people from the least deprived areas.

"There continues to be an inequality gap for alcohol-related admissions between those living in the most and least deprived parts of Scotland," the report said.

Admissions to general hospitals for liver disease linked to alcohol rose for the fourth year in a row, with 140 hospital stays per 100,000 people recorded in 2016-17.

This total is only marginally down on the rate of 140.1 admissions per 100,000 people recorded in 2007-08 - which was the highest since 1997-98.

The new figures were published less than a week after Supreme Court judges gave the green light to Scottish Government plans for the country to become the first in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said: "Increasing hospital stays and liver disease are deeply worrying.

"This data shows that age, gender and social standing are no barrier to excessive consumption and, with alcohol-related deaths rising earlier this year, there has never been a clearer demonstration of the need for minimum unit pricing."

She also said ministers would publish a revised version of Scotland's alcohol framework, to "build on what is already in place to work alongside minimum pricing to change Scotland's damaging relationship with alcohol".

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "These numbers show that Scotland continues to have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, with 100 people a day admitted to hospital.

"In excess, alcohol hurts individuals, families and communities while alcohol-related admissions put immense pressure on our hardworking NHS staff.

"This is especially shocking when you see that admission rates are nearly eight times higher for people from the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas."

He added: "The Scottish Government has belatedly recognised Liberal Democrat calls to reverse their damaging 20% cut to drug and alcohol support services but there is much more to do.

"Now we finally have the go-ahead for minimum unit pricing I urge the Government to act swiftly and put it into practice as part of a new push to win the battle with the bottle."