ONE of the nation's most acclaimed young photographers has pledged to burn his folio of entries for the Scottish Photographer of the Year awards in a protest against the event's organisers.

Freelance photographer Roddy Mackay was told he was shortlisted for the Young Photographer of the Year category in the prestigious national awards at the end of February - only to be told soon after that judges had decided to withdraw the prize because the overall standard of entries in the category was "not good enough".

Mackay, 25, who was shortlisted for the award alongside Edinburgh Evening News photographers Ed Jones and Dan Philips and picture agency SNS Group's Craig Williams, said the judges' decision to withdraw the prize had damaged him "mentally and physically".

He said: "I've made a decision to burn my pictures and speak out publicly about their lack of support. As a young photographer I feel very, very passionately about the way I have been treated."

The Scottish press photography awards, to be held at a glitzy ceremony in Glasgow this Wednesday, are the most important industry prizes north of the Border. There were more than 3000 entries this year and 42 photographers have been shortlisted A war of words has raged between the judging panel and the four nominees ever since it was revealed the award was to be withdrawn.

In an angrily worded email to the head of the judging panel Ken Lennox - a former Sun picture editor - the nominees asked the judges to understand how difficult it was to establish a career as a young photographer, pointing out the ways in which their decision to withhold the prize had damaged their fledgling careers.

Mackay said Lennox's reply accused them of being "arrogant" and "immature".

He said: "They left us no choice but to come across as arrogant and immature when we decided to defend our work."

A second nominee, who did not wish to be named, said he was worried about the damage the decision would do to his career.

He said: "If I could go back in time and not enter these awards then I would do that. As a photographer your reputation is key to getting work and being associated publicly with an award that has been withdrawn because of low standards has damaged my reputation."

Lennox, head of a judging panel that includes Sunday Times picture editor Ray Wells, said the entries were good but that none of them had "that extra something" that merited a prestigious national award.

He said they had announced a shortlist, then cancelled the award afterwards due to the way entries were judged on the internet before the judges met in person to decide an eventual winner.

Lennox added: "I replied to their hot-headed email. There was certainly a bit of arrogance there. The judges' decision was unanimous.

"I do not feel we should make an award unless we recognise someone that is exceptional.

"This is not an automatic prize."