Yes Campaign Accused Of 'Sinister' Mobbery

A Scotland referendum No campaigner has accused the Yes campaign of "sinister" street mobbery after his tour visits were disrupted by crowds.

Labour frontbencher Jim Murphy described the abuse as "sinister".

He said his last 12 No campaign meetings had been disrupted by hundreds of "co-ordinated" individuals throwing eggs and hurling abuse.

Mr Murphy has been staging a tour of 100 towns in 100 days with weeks to go until the referendum vote takes place.

He told Sky News: "I don't mind heckles, do you know what I don't mind people throwing eggs, that's just a dry cleaning bill that's neither here nor there.

"Instead of turning up and crowds of people on all sides, I would turn up and there was an organised mob of yes supporters facilitated through the Yes Scotland organisations, through websites, through Facebook and other social media.

"This is co-ordinated, it's sinister and there have been times, across the period, [there have been] hundreds of people involved in it.

"These are people intending to disrupt and silence undecided voters on street corners so they cannot have their say."

But Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond hit back at the claims, and said there were "idiots" on both sides.

He said: "I condemn any egg throwing or any intimidation from any side.

"I don't hold press conferences accusing Mr Murphy or the No campaign of orchestrating these events because I know that would be ridiculous to do so.

"If Mr Murphy comes bawling and shouting on a street corner near you anytime soon, keep doing your shopping go on with what you're doing.

"It's just like a guy with the 'end is nigh' around his neck, he'll go away soon.

"Let the rest of us get on with the real story, and that is hundreds of thousands of people, never interested in politics in their lives before, are now engaged in the most engaging, participative and empowering debate in political history."

On Saturday, Prime Minister David Cameron told the Scottish Daily Mail he was "emotional and nervous" over the independence referendum , but confident the Union would remain.

The vote takes place on September 18.