A SCOTTISH Conservative MP has told the Commons he and his staff have been threatened with lynching in an independent Scotland.

Speaker John Bercow said the targeting of Luke Graham and his workers was “despicable”.

The alleged incident happened on Wednesday evening, the day after SNP Brexit Secretary Michael Russell suggested Mr Graham and other Scottish Tory MPs were traitors.

Acting Tory leader Jackson Carlaw, who asked Nicola Sturgeon at FMQs to distance herself from the “inflammatory smear”, later linked the remark to Mr Graham’s case.

He suggested Mr Russell had been “facilitating this intimidation with ill judged dog-whistle tweets” and been encouraged by Ms Sturgeon refusing to distance herself from it.

READ MORE: Brexit Secretary Mike Russell under fire for suggesting Scottish Tories are traitors

Mr Graham, MP for Ochil and South Perthshire since 2017, raised the matter by asking the Speaker for “guidance on a security matter” on Thursday evening.

He said: “Last night two individuals approached my constituency office, banging on the windows and shouting at the one member of staff that was in there.

“She was on her own. She approached the individuals. She was told that ‘In an independent Scotland all of you would be hanging and we will be there at the front cheering on’.

“And also, ‘I can’t wait to come and drag you from this office and get you to the noose.”

“Mr Speaker, my member of staff was on her own. If she was here now she’d say she was a tough St Ninian’s woman who was happy to take him, but she shouldn’t have to.”

Mr Bercow said: “That behaviour was despicable and should be condemned unreservedly, as it will be by all right-thinking people in this House and beyond, and I am sorry for what ghastly experience his staffer has undergone. It should not happen to anyone.”

He said any law-breaking out to be punished.

On Tuesday night, Mr Russell named Mr Graham and 10 other Scottish Tory MPs who voted for Theresa May’s Brexit deal in a Tweet, likening them to the Scottish nobles who bowed the knee to England’s Edward 1 at the end of the 13th century and signed the “Ragman Roll”.

At FMQs, Mr Carlaw said Mr Russell had accused those who backed the deal of being “traitors to Scotland” and asked Ms Sturgeon to disassociate herself from the remark.

The First Minister said she struggled to believe Mr Carlaw would raise a hashtag when the Tory government was in meltdown over Brexit, and described Paul Masterton, the only Scottish Tory MP to vote against Mrs May’s deal, as an “honourable exception”.

After Mr Graham’s statement in the Commons, Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP for Glasgow South, who was recently targeted by right-wing blogger Tommy Robinson, tweeted: “I’m truly sorry to hear this @LukeGrahamMP.

“My staff and I know what it’s like to be intimidated by those who don’t like your politics and this sort of stuff is never ever acceptable.

“Please pass on our best wishes to your office team.”

Mr Carlaw then tweeted in response: “Yet just a few hours ago his position was we should get some ‘perspective’” on [Mr Russell] facilitating this intimidation with ill judged dog-whistle tweets, encouraged today by @NicolaSturgeon who refused to distance herself from it.”

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser tweeted: "Horrible. This is what happens when SNP Ministers call @ScotTories MPs traitors & @NicolaSturgeon refuses to condemn them."

Mr Russell and the SNP have been asked for comment.