Reports have claimed that Nicola Sturgeon has lost her police protection detail five months after stepping down as First Minister. 

The £600,000-a-year security team had been kept in place despite her leaving the job in March, amid concerns about threats Ms Sturgeon had received in the past.  

But as she is now simply and MSP, 24-hour cover from Police Scotland has been withdrawn in line with procedures put in place during the tenures of her predecessors.  

Neith er Alex Salmond, Jack McConnell or Henry McLeish received permanent security after they left the top job, and Ms Sturgeon is reportedly looking forward to getting back to normal without bodyguards following her every move.  

However, it is claimed that concerns still linger over her safety, in light of threats she has received in the past.  

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Former Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone, who retired this month, and the Scottish Government’s top official, Permanent Secretary John-Paul Marks, signed off the changes. 

READ MORE: Police security detail 'withdrawn from former FM'

Scottish Tory MSP and Shadow Justice Secretary Russell Findlay welcomed the news, saying: “With the SNP cutting Police Scotland’s budget by hundreds of millions of pounds, the force has to make some incredibly tough spending decisions to keep the people of Scotland safe. 

“However, the decision to axe Nicola Sturgeon’s £600,000-a-year protection will have been taken following rigorous and scrupulous assessment of all potential risk.”