SECTARIANISM is a turn-off - that’s the message of a new online campaign aimed at encouraging young people to consider how bigoted attitudes and language can impact upon their love lives.

Launched today (Valentine’s Day) by charity Nil by Mouth and students from City of Glasgow College, the hard-hitting initiative will run across social media platforms and dating apps over the next few weeks.

Creators Alison Pearce, Amanda Slaven, Bobbie Parks and Grace Smith want to hammer home the message that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Alison said: “We created this campaign because we wanted to make people think about their own attitudes and try and move discussion of this issue away from football and violence.

“We have all came across people who either use sectarian language in company or post sectarian abuse online and it is a huge turn off for the vast majority of people.”

She adds: “Loads of people are using dating apps like Tinder and Bumble these days and it’s no secret users will go on Facebook and Twitter to get more of a sense of the person who may be liking their profiles.

“If they see that you spend your time abusing others just because they are different from you it will hardly encourage them to return your interest. Our message is - don’t let blind hate cost you a first date.”

The women’s campaign was the winning entry in Nil by Mouth’s Pitch Perfect competition, run in conjunction with the college to encourage marketing students to devise a campaign aimed at raising awareness of sectarianism across west central Scotland.

Nil by Mouth was set up by former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year Cara Henderson after the brutal sectarian murder of her best friend.