An expert group is to be set up by the Scottish Government to look at ways of tackling the sale and supply of so-called "legal highs".

The panel will review the powers available to crack down on new psychoactive substances (NPS) which have been implicated in dozens of deaths in Scotland in recent years.

Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham made the announcement as she prepared to attend yesterday's British-Irish Council on the Misuse of Substances in Dublin.

The working group will consider the devolved and reserved powers available to authorities including Police Scotland and Trading Standards, and contribute to the Scottish Government's response to the Home Office review of NPS legislation which is expected to be published later this year.

Between 2009 and 2012, NPS were implicated in 73 deaths in Scotland.

Substances sold as legal highs are produced to have similar effects to drugs such as ecstasy but they fall outside the UK Government's misuse of drugs laws.

Ms Cunningham said: "Drugs legislation and the legality of new psychoactive substances, or 'legal highs', are the responsibility of Westminster.

"We in Scotland do not have the power to ban them but we are absolutely determined to do all that we can to restrict access to them, and educate people about the inherent dangers to minimise any further loss of life.

"It's important that we have a clear understanding of the powers which are currently available to us in relation to these substances and that those powers are used to maximum effect."