Scores of people in East Renfrewshire have been flocking to a new Covid-19 vaccination walk-in service.

Anyone aged 40 or over who has not yet had their first jab or has waited more than 10 weeks for their second AstraZeneca dose can be seen without an appointment.

Bosses at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) launched the programme last week in response to high virus infection rates in the health board area, including East Renfrewshire.

There was also concern over the number of people failing to attend appointments.

The first drop-in sessions in East Renfrewshire were held at the Barrhead Foundry and Carmichael Hall, in Giffnock, on Friday.

A third took place at Carmichael Hall the following day.

The scheme has been operating on a first come, first served basis, with staff able to vaccinate up to 500 people at each session.

When the Barrhead Foundry opened at 9am on Friday, a queue had already formed outside.

A fourth session will be held at Carmichael Hall this Saturday, due to popular demand.

People from East Renfrewshire can also visit the NHS Louisa Jordan vaccination centre at the SSE Hydro the following day.

Both venues will be open from 9am until 6pm.

It’s not known yet if the no appointment sessions will be continued later into the month.

East Renfrewshire had the highest rate of Covid cases in Scotland in the week to May 31, at 163 per 100,000 people, followed by neighbouring Renfrewshire and Glasgow.

A spokesperson for NHSGGC said: “We’d like to thank everyone who has turned up to receive their vaccination at our locations in East Renfrewshire in the last week.

“It’s a real testament to the local public’s diligence and desire for us to control the spread of the virus as much as possible and get back to a form of normality.

“A huge thanks also goes to all of the staff working tirelessly to vaccinate so many people.

“Those aged between 30 and 39 are currently being invited forward for a scheduled appointment and, for everyone under 30 who hasn’t been vaccinated, we are asking them to self-register on www.nhsinform.scot/under30register and we will begin to vaccinate them from June 14 onwards.”

For more about the drop-in sessions, visit NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.