SCOTTISH Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has hit out at pro-independence campaigners after being “shouted at for 90 minutes” during a lively public meeting in Abbeyview.

Firebrand Tommy Sheridan was arguing the case for a ‘Yes’ vote while the ‘No’ corner was fought by Mr Rennie and Tory councillor Dave Dempsey in front of a vociferous 200-strong audience.

Organiser Sheila Nikolaidis said she had apologised to Mr Rennie afterwards for the “unruly” behaviour of some members of the audience and was disappointed he was now making an issue of the matter.

Former local MP Willie Rennie contacted the Press to complain that he and Dave Dempsey were repeatedly shouted down whenever they spoke up for the United Kingdom at the meeting.

He said, “I am not a shrinking violet but being shouted at for 90 minutes was not my idea of democracy.

“I like a good feisty debate but debate usually involves both sides of an argument being heard. Whenever Dave and I spoke up for the United Kingdom we were faced with a wall of noise.

“There is a very unpleasant underbelly to the independence campaign. It may not be directed from Yes HQ but it has been unleashed by the referendum campaign. If this is how an independent Scotland would be then I am even more determined for us to stay in the United Kingdom.

“I was heartened that a few independence supporters apologised to us after the debate for the behaviour of others. More applauded during the meeting when there were pleas for calm but it was a shameful display overall.” Sheila Nikolaidis responded that she was “saddened and disappointed” by Mr Rennie’s comments.

She continued, “I spoke to him immediately after the event and apologised personally for the behaviour of a few members of the audience. He seemed to have accepted this well at the time. In a subsequent email, Willie assured me that he would not be making an issue of it.

“The Abbeyview event was advertised, in good faith, as an opportunity for undecided voters to hear from speakers on both sides of the argument. “It was a public meeting and as such we had no control over who attended. There was, unfortunately, some unruly behaviour and a fair amount of heckling which I would have thought, as a seasoned campaigner and former member of the House of Commons, Willie would have been more than able to cope with.

“His reaction is even more surprising when compared to that of his fellow speaker, Dave Dempsey, who wrote to me afterwards that he had ‘thoroughly enjoyed it and would do it again tomorrow’.

“The feedback from members of the audience was that they had appreciated the chance to hear the arguments, found the Q&A session worthwhile and were pleased that the speakers had taken the time to attend an event in their area.

“The bottom line is that the voters of Abbeyview were given the opportunity to express their opinions in an open forum. This surely is what the campaign is about and can only add to the democratic process leading up to the referendum vote on September 18th.”