Nicola Sturgeon warns COVID-19 could spread "out of control" if Scots flout lockdown

Nicola Sturgeon has warned that the COVID-19 outbreak may “spread out of control" if Scots flout the strict lockdown which has been imposed to contain the virus.

Nicola Sturgeon delivered the latest Coronavirus figures today

The First Minister admitted today that she fears Scots may “tire” of the restrictions on movement as it emerged that police have issued more than 500 fixed penalty notices for breaches.

Ms Sturgeon issued a fresh plea for Scots to stay at home this Easter weekend as temperatures are expected to rise.

The "vast majority" of Scots are complying with the lockdown measures, Ms Sturgeon said today at her daily Coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh and those who have broken the rules are a "tiny minority" of the population.

But she added: "Of course I worry about people tiring of this. We all find it more difficult to comply with these rules with every day that passes.

"That, even in Scotland with Scottish weather, will get more difficult as we go into Spring and the weather gets better, the nights get lighter. Nobody is under any illusion about that.

"But that is why it remains important for me as First Minister, the Chief Constable and Jason (Leitch) to be very clear with people that we will not ask you to do this for a minute longer than is necessary.

"But right now we think it necessary and we think it vital. If we stop this prematurely - this virus hasn't gone away as we see from the figures – and if we stop these measures prematurely this virus will start to spread out of control very quickly.

"That will very quickly overpower our National Health Service and will very quickly see numbers of people who lose their lives to this virus rise even beyond the horrible numbers that I have to stand here and report every day.

"That is why we need to stick with this."

Police Scotland have issued more than 500 fixed penalty notices where people have not complied with the lockdown instructions, even after being spoken to by officers.

This includes house parties and public gatherings, but Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said the majority of Scots have complied with the rules.