Connery: I will return to Scotland if it becomes independent

Scottish movie legend Sean Connery has pledged to return to live in his homeland after a fifty year exile if it becomes an independent country.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) has promised a referendum on independence in three years (2010) if it wins the Scottish parliament election.

The former James Bond action hero left Scotland in the late 50s and now lives in the Bahamas, but he has been closely following the political situation in his native country and is hoping that his homeland will soon be an independent nation.

He says: "I have been waiting for independence as long as I can remember. Like a lot of Scots abroad, I look forward to coming home to an independent Scotland.

"Emotionally I've never left."