Numbskulls are a danger to others

THIS time last year Scotland was in the early stages of a second national lockdown.

Pubs, restaurants, cinemas and a variety of non-essential shops were all closed.

There were also restrictions on visiting friends and family.

The vaccination programme was in its early stages and focusing on giving older Scots their first jags. It all seems like a long time ago. Despite a dangerous new variant of coronavirus emerging, society is today functioning far more normally.

Emergency restrictions that temporarily brought back social distancing in pubs and shops could be lifted as soon as next week.

This position of resilience has been built on the foundations of the successful vaccine roll-out.

And, most importantly, thousands of people are alive today who would be dead if it wasn’t for that roll-out.

The vast majority of adults have now had three doses and are thankful for it.

So it’s deeply worrying to learn that a shadowy anti-vaccination group is planning a gathering in Lanarkshire to train so-called “Alpha Men”.

Members planning to attend the Strathclyde Park event have been urged to get training in the gym to enable them to “fight the evil”.

These extremists are deliberately spreading misinformation on social media about vaccination being mandatory.

The programme remains voluntary – and most people take it to protect themselves and look out for others.

Most Scots understand that vaccines save lives and will eventually allow society to fully reopen.

People have the right to opt out if they really want to. But grown men meeting up in parks to bleat about baseless conspiracies is pathetic.