Salmond beefs up his security team as indy voter passions run high

Alex Salmond is to beef up his security team as tensions rise in the increasingly bitter referendum campaign.

Politicians are increasingly finding themselves targeted by abuse and threats as they try to persuade voters to side with them in the last frantic weeks leading up to the September 18 vote.

The Sunday Post has learned Salmond’s team have hired a private security firm to protect the First Minister on the campaign trail after a string of security alerts.

The Scottish-based company hired are made up of professional close protection officers who usually protect diplomats in danger zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. They are highly trained and specialise in getting clients out of dangerous situations under emergency conditions.

They will work alongside the army specialists already assigned to the First Minister during the vote. Our source said: “It’s all very last minute. There were no plans in place before but as things have turned nasty everyone seems to be tightening up their security.”

It comes after Salmond was targeted twice in the last month.

The First Minister called the cops after a road rage nut chased his official car waving a homemade No sign. Crazed driver Murdo McDonald, 21, tailed the First Minister’s Lexus before twice overtaking him during the drama on the A90 near Dundee at the start of August.

Weeks later a Twitter troll was found guilty of threatening to assassinate Salmond because “he didn’t really like the SNP”.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Christopher Stevenson, 26, was reported to police by an American tourist who had seen the post online. Sentence on Stevenson was deferred for a year for good behaviour.

But the increasingly ugly mood hasn’t been purely directed at Yes campaigners.

Last week an unemployed Scottish independence supporter was sentenced to 80 hours’ community service after pelting Labour MP Jim Murphy with eggs in Kirkcaldy High Street. Stuart MacKenzie, 45, admitted assaulting the shadow minister as he spoke in the town centre as part of his soapbox 100 towns in 100 Days tour for Better Together.

It has also emerged Better Together chief Alastair Darling has held talks with police over security.

A spokesman for the First Minister said: “We do not comment on security matters.”