A majority of older voters would reject independence in a second referendum, a new poll suggests.

Support for staying part of the United Kingdom stands at 70% among the over 60s, with 30% backing independence, the Survation poll for the Sunday Post newspaper found.

The survey contrasts with an Ipsos MORI poll for STV published last week, which found that Scots are split 50/50 on the issue.

A total of 1,010 voters over the age of 60 were questioned by Survation between March 3 and 9.

The participants were asked how they would vote if there was another poll tomorrow with the question: 'Should Scotland be an independent country?'.

Excluding undecideds, 30% said Yes and 70% said No.

A poll of pensioners from last March for the same newspaper showed 64.4% backed No and 35.6% backed Yes.

A second independence referendum has been described as "highly likely" by Nicola Sturgeon if the move to formally trigger Brexit happens without any special arrangements for Scotland.

The majority of Scots rejected Brexit in the EU referendum last year.

Ms Sturgeon's popularity among older voters was also down, Survation found.

The First Minister recorded a favourability score of minus 14, down from minus one in last year's poll.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister scored 12, behind Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson on 20.

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale scored minus 15, while the poll results make grim reading for her UK counterpart Jeremy Corbyn, trailing with a score of minus 58.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley said: "This poll demonstrates that pensioners are rightly worried about the impact of independence and they clearly have no appetite for a second independence referendum.

"Pensioners rely on local public services such as social care, which are under massive pressure at the moment due to SNP cuts, but would be even more at risk under the austerity that would follow independence.

"The economic case for independence does not stack up and would lead to turbo-charged austerity - further threatening the services that so many older people rely upon.

"Scottish Labour firmly opposes the SNP plans for a second independence referendum which is not in the people of Scotland's interests.

"The SNP needs to get a grip on addressing its failings in health, in education and in supporting the Scottish economy and move off this obsession with independence that is having such a negative impact on our country."

An SNP spokeswoman said: "The most recent full poll has support for independence running neck and neck with support for the union. The Tories now think they can do anything to Scotland and get away it - but backing for independence is only likely to grow as Theresa May pursues an economically damaging hard Brexit without paying any heed to Scotland's vital interests.

"The Scottish Government has a cast-iron democratic mandate for an independence referendum if that is the chosen route to protect our national interests in the face of a hard Brexit. This was a specific manifesto commitment on which the SNP was re-elected just 10 months ago."