Scots urged to join mass hand-clapping for NHS workers at 8pm tonight

Thousands of people up and down the country are being urged to join a mass "hand-clapping" event at 8pm tonight to show their gratitude for NHS workers battling Coronavirus.

Scots are being urged to join mass" handclapping" event for NHS workers

And the woman behind the initiative also hopes it will create a "bit of togetherness" among the housebound public observing the hardline lockdown to battle the virus.

Similar events have already taken place in Spain and Italy. The woman behind the UK initiative, Annemarie Plas, came up with the hand-clapping demonstration after seeing it happen in her native Netherlands a couple of weeks ago.

"I got so inspired by that and I looked at what was happening in other countries such as Italy and Spain and I thought well that is what our NHS frontline workers need, but also for the people at home to create some togetherness for when we are alone," The Dutch-Londoner told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland.

The 36-year-old who has orchestrated the #ClapForOurCarers campaign plans to hang out of her living room window and hit pots and pans to make noise for frontline workers

In Spain and Italy the hand-clapping was only carried out near hospitals, but the UK event, like in the Netherlands, is calling for everyone in streets all across the UK to get involved.

Ms Plas hopes it will show NHS workers "how much we appreciate them, the hard work they are doing, that they're fighting every day for us, on our behalf, being in touch with people who actually have Coronavirus.

"I think they do all the hard work on backshifts and this show how much we are grateful for that."

Ms Plas is hoping that the event can become a weekly show of appreciation.

"I was hoping it will become every Thursday up until we are no longer having the measures of staying indoors and that it can create a bit of togetherness with other people who are in their brick houses at the moment."

She is calling on people - while observing social distancing – to take pictures and videos outside and upload them on social media using #clapforourcarers.

"So the people who need the boost can go online, look for it and see that," she added.