Security guards could protect MSPs at surgeries

The move comes after Sir David Amess was killed at his constituency surgery last month

Security guards could be sent to MSPs' surgeries in an attempt to improve their safety after the killing of Westminster MP Sir David Amess.

Members may also be offered self-defence or de-escalation training under new plans from the Scottish Parliament.

Conservative MP Sir David was stabbed to death at his constituency surgery in Essex a month ago.

It prompted the Scottish Parliament's Corporate Body to look again at the safety of MSPs.

In an update, the parliament's head of resilience and sustainability, Lynsey Hamill, said safety at surgery meetings was of particular concern right now.

She wrote that the corporate body had commissioned a project that would assess whether they might centrally provide security staff to accompany members at surgery meetings.

Ms Hamill said that would probably require paying for "external personnel" who they could call on to carry out the role.

She said they were engaging with MSPs over the "potential demand" and how best such a service might work.

The parliamentary security office has also been asked to look into giving self-defence classes or de-escalation training to MSPs and local office staff, although Ms Hamill suggested a final decision was far from being made.

She said the corporate body was "understandably concerned that none of us should put ourselves in harm's way".

The SPCB - a group of cross-party MSPs who deal with the day-to-day running of the parliament - agreed "in principle" that police should inspect the homes, offices and Edinburgh residences of members, with the recommendations implemented to boost security.

Labour MSP and SPCB member Clare Baker said during a question session on Thursday that cost would not be an impediment to ensuring the safety of politicians.

Police Scotland will also provide an annual safety briefing to members.