New laws have been passed which ban under-18s from using sunbeds.

Public health minister Shona Robison said the new Bill, passed by MSPs yesterday, will put Scotland ahead of the rest of the UK.

The legislation will also outlaw coin-operated, unstaffed tanning salons, as well as the sale or hire of sunbeds to under 18.

Sunbed operators will also be required to provide users with information about health risks.

The sunbed measures were not part of the original Bill but arose after amendments put forward by Labour MSP Ken Macintosh, at committee stage in Holyrood.

Mr Macintosh said: "I'm proud that it is Scotland that is leading the way yet again in the United Kingdom with this cancer-prevention measure."

Ms Robison said the provisions in the Bill send a clear message that sunbed use is dangerous.

She said: "I would argue that the provisions strike the right balance between government intervention and individual responsibility."

The Bill also contains measures to better equip and protect Scotland from the threat of infectious diseases and contamination.