Alex Salmond backs bid to end football bigotry

First Minister Alex Salmond revealed he was "appalled" after bullets were sent to Celtic stars recently, as he gave his backing to an anti-bigotry campaign in Scottish football yesterday.

The SNP leader insisted progress was being made to end sectarianism in the game as he joined fellow political leaders to endorse the Show Racism the Red Card campaign at Hibernian's Easter Road stadium.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon and players Niall McGinn and Paddy McCourt were sent the bullets from Northern Ireland which were intercepted at a sorting office.

Mr Salmond said: "Like everyone else in Scotland, I'm appalled by that sort of behaviour.

"I do think we are making progress, and last year we had the visit from his Holiness the Pope and last year we had the celebration of the Reformation and all faiths participated.

"But with this campaign to tackle bigotry we have to reach beyond the organised religions," he said.