Soccer: Campaigner welcomes bid to outlaw sectarianism

The friend of a teenager murdered for wearing a Celtic top has welcomed moves by a backbench MSP to make sectarianism a criminal offence.

Cara Henderson, who set up the anti-sectarianism group Nil By Mouth after her friend Mark Scott was killed, said the move will encourage a more open debate on religious intolerance in Scotland.

The Bill, which has been sponsored by Liberal Democrat MSP Donald Gorrie, would make anyone convicted of sectarianism liable to a possible penalty of seven years in prison.

Ms Henderson said she hoped the Scottish Executive would allow enough time for the draft Bill to go through the legislative process at Holyrood and that MSPs across the political spectrum would give their backing to it.

Ms Henderson, who founded the group after 16-year-old Mr Scott was murdered at Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow, in 1995, said: "Although we have made progress in terms of debating the issue of sectarianism, at street level the problem remains as bad as it has been.

"If you compare the situation to how we deal with racism, it probably equates to about 10 years ago when people could get away with racist remarks. "

Ms Henderson said that race legislation should be used as the model for tackling the problem of sectarianism.

On the difficulties that may arise, she added: "It does require common sense and I think it will be most effective on the streets in the aftermath of Old Firm matches to try to defuse situations that might result in trouble."