AN Orange Order parade that was planned to go past the church where a priest was spat on and attacked by followers has been called off.

The march was due to pass St Alphonsus Church, in Calton, this Saturday - but it will now not go ahead.

The decision comes after a meeting between the council and organisers from the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland.

Following the attack two weeks ago, during the largest Orange Order parade of the year in Glasgow, there was outrage.

Council leader Susan Aitken held meetings with police and council officials to discuss what action was available to prevent a repeat.

Ms Aitken issued a warning to the Orange Order that it should re-route parades away from places of worship - or the council would do it for them.

While the council has no legal power to ban Orange Order parades - as some had called for - it can affect the route taken on grounds of public safety, in collaboration with the police.

Other marches are planned in the coming weeks to go past the church, but talks will continue between the council and the Orange Order.

It is understood there could have been protests had a march been allowed to go ahead this weekend.

The Orange Order had condemned the attack and said none of its members were involved.

Canon Tom White was allegedly called “fenian scum” and “paedophile” by followers of the parade, spat on and lunged at by a man with a baton.

Ms Aiken had told the Orange Order that it could no longer "absolve itself" by pointing to "hangers-on".

A council spokesman said: “Council officers had a productive meeting with the organisers. We will continue to engage with both the organisers and the church community but have agreed that the planned procession will not take place on Saturday.”

A spokesman for the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland said:"We welcome the opportunity to continue positive dialogue with Glasgow City Council, the Police, and other stakeholders regarding future parades. 

"We should be looking forward, not back, and our lodges today therefore took the decision to postpone the above parade due to take place this Saturday, therefore allowing some additional time over those discussions which would give everyone the opportunity to look at matters from a fresh, forward thinking perspective. 

"The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland fully supports this decision.”