NICOLA Sturgeon has hit back at claims there are more deaths in Scottish care homes than the rest of the UK, saying England's statistics are under-reported.

Sophy Ridge said from March 16 to May 24 there were 94% more deaths in Scottish care homes. She said 46% of coronavirus deaths in Scotland are in care homes and in England and Wales the figure is 28%.

But the First Minister hit back, saying: "Every single death from this virus is a great matter of personal regret to me ... It's often put to me that the death rate ... for care homes in Scotland is higher than it is in England and I just don't believe that that is the case.

“I should preface my comment by saying I don’t think any level of deaths is acceptable and it shouldn’t be a competition.

“Excess deaths in Scotland overall, but also in care homes, is lower than in England but more of them in care homes have been attributed to Covid than is the case in England.

“So about 70%, or slightly more than that, of excess deaths in Scotland are attributed to Covid. Whereas for some reason it is less than 50% in England.

“In Scotland, if you die, of say, a stroke but you also happen to have the virus you will be included in the deaths from Covid.”

She added: “It’s not for me to explain England’s figures but I think here there is, at least on the face of it, a question of under reporting in England.

“I’m confident that Scotland’s figures are robust and the percentage of overall of deaths that have sadly and tragically happened in care homes in Scotland is much more in line with the figures we see in other countries as well.”