Sturgeon: Make abortion buffer zones nationwide

BUFFER zones around abortion clinics should be introduced nationally and protesters should ‘leave women alone’, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister’s comments yesterday came after she was pressed on the issue in the wake of concern over protests outside Glasgow’s Sandyford clinic.

At First Minister’s Questions, she said there were ‘legal complexities’ which ‘local authorities and indeed national government want to work through’.

Miss Sturgeon added: ‘My preference is we would be able to legislate nationally in order that there is a consistency of approach in this. We know, though, there is a forthcoming Supreme Court case sparked by legislation in Northern Ireland which will undoubtedly have an impact on the legal framework here.’

Demonstrators at the Sandyford clinic are said to have been using a loudspeaker, leaving patients inside the centre, which provides a variety of services, ‘distressed’.

Miss Sturgeon said ‘those who want to protest against abortion’ should do it outside Holyrood, ‘and leave women alone and stop trying to intimidate them’.