Nicola Sturgeon has told a Tory Glasgow MSP not to turn the trouble at a republican march in Govan and decision to allow Saturday’s marches to go ahead, into a “political bunfight”.

Annie Wells MSP said it was a bad idea to allow the march to go ahead on an 'Old Firm weekend'.

At First Ministers Questions today, she said, “anyone in Glasgow would have told you that was a bad idea".

She appeared to attempt to put the blame for the trouble on to Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken.

She said: “How on earth did SNP council leader think it was a good idea?"

Shd asked: “Was Susan Aitken right to let this march go ahead?"

The decision, however, was taken by a cross-party Public Processions Committee of three councillors on Glasgow City Council, which did not include Ms Aitken, after a hearing where the organisers were present along with Police Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said: “It is a bad idea to try and turn as serious as this into a party political bunfight.”

Riot police had to intervene when hundreds of loyalist protesters turned up in Govan to disrupt an Irish Unity march by the James Connolly Flute Band.

Ms Sturgeon has already condemned the violent scenes as “utterly unacceptable”.