Six people have been arrested after trouble flared in Glasgow city centre following the referendum result.

Crowds gathered in George Square last night as police separated rival supporters of the union and independence.

Earlier in the evening, hundreds of people had crowded into the square, with union supporters and rivals sporting Yes badges arguing over the referendum result, while a chorus of Rule Britannia was countered by the Scottish anthem, Flower of Scotland.

While social media reports indicated that trouble continued into the early hours of the morning, a Police Scotland spokesman said groups had dwindled to sets of two and three people by around 1am.

He said: "Six people have been arrested so far in relation to the incident in George Square. Retrospective inquiries will be carried out which may lead to further arrests."

BBC journalist Andrew Neil used Twitter to criticise people he said were posting images from the London riots in a bid to pass them off as Glasgow.

"Some dishonest numpties using pics from Tottenham riots to claim this is Glasgow tonight. Yes and No should unite to condemn," he wrote.

Channel Four reporter Alex Thomson described the scene as pro-Union supporters made their voices heard.

"Chants of 'Ten German Bombers', 'Rule Britannia' and 'God Save The Queen' (the latter with what many would interpret as a Nazi-style salute) rang out to the utter bemusement of onlookers."

Earlier police officers, some mounted on horses, lined up to divide the groups.

A number of people draped in union flags left the area and began spreading on to the nearby streets, with many marching down St Vincent Place as police followed.

They later gathered in George Square again, this time at the top of the square next to Queen Street Station singing Rule Britannia and a flare was let off.

Police formed a human barrier to block off the route to Buchanan Street and contain people in the square.

Roads around the square, which had had hosted pro-independence parties in the days before the referendum, were closed as police dealt with the incident.

Chief Superintendent Andy Bates, local policing commander for Greater Glasgow said: "More than 700 people gathered in George Square last night and officers arrested six people for a number of public order offences.

"An investigation into Friday night's disorder has begun and an incident room has been set up at Glasgow City Centre Police Office, staffed by officers dedicated to identifying and arresting anyone involved in the ugly scenes witnessed across the world on television and social media.

"We have already secured valuable CCTV and other evidence which I am confident will lead to further arrests in the coming days.

"Don't think that because you were not arrested by last night that you will not be caught. If you were involved in any criminality in the square we will identify you and you will be arrested.

"I would ask that anyone who has any information that could assist us with our enquiries to contact officers via the non emergency number 101."