The Scottish Parliament is to stop flying the EU flag outside the building, it has emerged.

Holyrood bosses have decided to stop flying the Council of Europe flag as a result of the the UK's decision to leave the European Union.

Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh revealed the decision in an email to MSPs today.

"I am writing to inform you that, following the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the SPCB agreed at its meeting this morning that from 11.00pm on 31 January, the Scottish Parliament will no longer fly the EU flag on a daily basis," he said.

The EU flag will stop flying outside Holyrood

"The SPCB (Scottish Parliament Corporate body) decided that on Europe Day we shall fly the Council of Europe flag as a mark of our continued ties with that body and that our flag-flying policy should be amended to reflect these decisions."

The EU flag currently flies alongside the St Andrews flag and Union flag outside the Scottish Parliament.

Nationalist MSP Alasdair Allan, a former Europe minister, had been campaigning to keep the flag flying to mark the EU referendum outcome in Scotland where a majority voted to Remain. A motion from Allan stated Parliament "should continue to fly the EU flag on its grounds, in line with the democratic decisions of Scotland's voters and MSPs to remain in the EU".

It had been backed by a number of SNP MSPs and some Greens, before being rejected today.

Scottish Parliament to stop flying EU flag