Safety concerns have been raised after it was revealed a plane was involved in a near miss with a commercial drone close to Glasgow Airport.

The tail of the Loganair aircraft was inspected because the crew "thought it may have been hit" as it approached the Paisley-based terminal, according to a report by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB).

The incident was rated as having the highest degree of risk.

The near miss happened on November 24 last year when the plane was nine miles from Glasgow Airport, at an altitude of 3,000 feet.

Maurice Boyle, Loganair's chief operations officer, said: "Our Saab 2000 aircraft was carrying 22 passengers and three crew from Sumburgh, in Shetland, and was approaching Glasgow Airport when the captain and first officer both saw the drone in very close proximity.

"Fortunately, there was no collision but this was potentially a very serious incident.

"Penalties should be substantially increased for flagrant misuse of drones near airports, where they represent a very major hazard."

The aircraft's captain and first officer described the drone as dark or black and around one metre wide.

It passed about five metres above the captain's window and was moving at "high speed," in a straight line.

The near miss was reported to air traffic control and police met the crew after landing to file a report.

The UKAB stated that "a definite risk of collision had existed."

There has been growing concern about drones after sightings of the devices caused flights at Gatwick Airport to be grounded in the run-up to Christmas.

Aviation Minister Liz Sugg said: "Flying drones illegally puts others at risk. The law is clear that these are serious criminal acts that hold lengthy prison sentences.

"The government is further strengthening the law by extending the no-fly zone around airports and, from November, all drone users must be registered and tested, which will help hold illegal drone users to account."