PANIC alarms which carry GPS tracking devices are to be issued to each of East Lothian Council's councillors following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, in England, in June.

The county's 23 elected councillors will be equipped with the discreet alarms which will link to a tracking system already used by the NHS to protect lone workers.

And it comes in the wake of a public meeting in East Lothian,which was attended by two of the councillors, having to be abandoned because of a disruptive attendee.

The meeting of Macmerry and Gladsmuir Community Council was brought to an end after a man, protesting about a local issue, refused to leave or allow the meeting to progress.

Witnesses said he became aggressive towards one of the community councillors and refused to calm down.

Chairwoman Maureen Cuthill had to abandon the meeting as the man refused to stop making his case.

Mrs Cuthill said: "The man in question was passionate about the issue and frustrated. Unfortunately I had to bring the meeting to a close. It is the first time I have had to do this in 19 years chairing the community council."

The meeting was held in Macmerry Village Hall in July and was attended by East Lothian Councillors Shamin Akhtar and Donald Grant.

It is understood the man came in after the community police officer had left the meeting and was allowed to address the community council for 30 minutes on his issue.

However he became angry when he was told his time was up and community councillors attempted to move on to other items.

One witness said: "It was alarming as the police had left and there was nothing that could be done to stop the man who became increasingly angry.

"There was no way to raise the alarm had things got out of hand."

Under the new health and safety move by East Lothian Council, elected councillors at future meetings will be able to carry a panic alarm.

West Yorkshire MP Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed multiple times as she prepared to hold her regular surgery. She had been described as a tireless supporter of refugees and founded the all-party Westminster group Friends of Syria.

Reported in the East Lothian Courier, council officials are understood to have looked into the safety of elected councillors who attend weekly surgeries, often on their own.

Police Scotland last month issued anti terrorism advice to councillors comes

Activating the alarm will immediately alert police to their exact location through a private company which monitors the devices at all times.

The Courier revealed earlier this month that Police Scotland had issued councillors with anti-terrorism advice outlining what to do if confronted by an armed attacker, how to identify suspicious packages and highlighting extra safety measures to be used when out in public.

The advice, issued by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, and distributed by Police Scotland, was issued following a meeting of the local authority's emergency planners in the wake of Mrs Cox's death.

The police advice included carrying a personal alarm and East Lothian Council said it had decided this was the best course of action to protect councillors and mvoes were underway to introduce the added protection.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: "In the wake of the tragic death of MP Jo Cox, it was decided that this was a prudent health and safety move, along with issuing safety guidance to our councillors.

"We are renting these alarms via the NHS procurement framework as they use these alarms for all of their lone workers.

"The alarms will be GPS tracked so that, once activated, the company that monitors them would be able to alert police to the exact location of the alert.

"The cost will be approximately £2,500 annually which will be met from our existing budget."