A BARRHEAD activist sparked controversy today by displaying a banner at Glasgow Central train station demanding that ‘England get out of Scotland.’

Three men, led by Sean Clerkin, were told to leave by police after they staged the stunt just before a train was due to arrive at the station from London.

Mr Clerkin also arranged a recent protest at the Scotland-England border to highlight calls for Holyrood chiefs to implement quarantine restrictions on people arriving from England if they are engaged in non-essential travel.

He insists that, with England recording a higher number of coronavirus cases than other parts of the UK, quarantine is needed to “protect the people of Scotland.”

Mr Clerkin also revealed his group, Action for Scotland, is planning to stage further events in the coming days and months to get its message across.

He said these will take place at “ports of entry from England, such as airports, railway stations, bus stations and roads."

“It would be best that people living in England think of others and take staycations in England, which is in the best interest of public health,” said Mr Clerkin, who has a history of protesting and publicly confronting high-profile politicians.

Dismissing claims that his demonstrations are ‘anti-English,’ he added: “This protest is purely about protecting the health of the people of Scotland.

“The banner is deliberately provocative to get the message home. We mean Scots, English, any nationality south of the border not to come to Scotland to protect public health.

“Scotland is a nation and, as citizens of Scotland, we want to safeguard the public health of people in Scotland.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said of the border protest: "The people who protested at the border did not speak for me, they were not there on my behalf or communicating a message that I endorse in any way. I would emphatically say I do not endorse that."