NICOLA Sturgeon has told anti-abortion protesters outside hospitals and clinics in Glasgow to “leave women alone”.

The First Minister said those who have been protesting are trying to intimidate women.

She said: “I find what is happening outside hospitals and the Sandyford clinic completely and utterly unacceptable.”

She said the summit she agreed to chair with councils and the police over the issue will happen this month.

Sturgeon said: “My call to those who want to protest against abortion, is to come and do it outside this parliament where laws are made and leave women alone and stop trying to intimidate them.”

The First Minister was asked by Labour MSP, Carol Mochan, about government supporting councils to allow action to be taken.

She said: “The intimidating behaviour outside the Sandyford clinic in Glasgow appears to be escalating.”

Mochan said that national and local government “appears to be at an impasse” on finding a solution like introducing buffer zones and called for the government to offer more support to councils to find solutions.

Sturgeon said: “There are legal complexities around this and it doesn’t help anybody for me to pretend there aren’t.”

She said local and national government wanted to work through those complexities.

She added: “My preference is we would be able to legislate nationally in order that there is a consistency of approach in this.”