A public health expert has accused the authorities of ignoring warnings for decades about the risk of a pandemic — and says their coronavirus response has been “dither and delay”.
Professor Andrew Watterson released a report on Friday highlighting alleged failures to prepare for the “inevitable” global spread of a deadly new disease such as Covid-19.
Coronavirus has so far claimed 176 lives in Scotland, and more than 3500 across the UK.
The country remains on lockdown, with strict measures in place to prevent people from gathering in public locations.
Stirling University academic Prof Watterson told STV News: “I think in some respects they are actually shameful. I find it deeply distressing.
“We had those warnings going back a considerable time, certainly for a couple of decades, yet for a while range of reasons the planning was deficient.