FORMER Scotland captain and Rangers player-manager Graeme Souness has compared shops that sell junk food to school children to "drug-dealers" and called on the Scottish Government to do more to stop them.

He spoke of his horror at seeing children queue at a pizza shop, a baker's and chip shop in Dunfermline during their lunch break.

Souness said easy access to meals high in fat, sugar and salt was taking its toll on the nation's health and might affect future sporting potential.

He said: "I was looking at them, thinking to myself: 'Scotland is going to have a major problem going forward.' We wouldn't let drug dealers set up shop outside our schools, putting their poison into our children, so why should these places be able to?

"There should be a Government campaign, backed by whatever money is needed, to highlight to our children all they are doing is storing up problems for further down the line, such as obesity and diabetes.

Reflecting on Scotland's defeat by Wales on Friday evening, Souness said he believed junk food might also be affecting our ability on the football field. He said: "When you look at the modern game, it is about athletes. It's about people who cover ground quickly and can get up and down the pitch incessantly.

"Gareth Bale is a good example, so is Aaron Ramsey. The two Welsh midfielders seemed more athletic than us on Friday night at Hampden and sadly you can say that about Scotland in comparison to most other nations."

According to recent figures, a growing number of Scottish children are overweight or obese. The 2011 Scottish Health Survey found that only two-thirds (65.6%) of children had a healthy weight, down from 70.3% in 1998.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "There are clear nutritional guidelines in place for Scottish schools and healthy living forms part of every pupil's learning journey.

"However, the siting of food vendors is a matter for local authorities."