THE top official in the pro-Union campaign has accused the SNP of a "real ugly ruthlessness" and claimed the Nationalists would do "whatever it takes" to secure independence.

Blair McDougall, chief executive of Better Together, made the remarks in his first public appearance at a fringe meeting at the Scottish LibDem conference.

A former Labour adviser, McDougall said the No camp should feel confident, but not complacent, given recent polls and an apparent lack of confidence on the SNP's part.

Referring to last week's row over EU legal advice, he said the lengths the SNP went to conceal the facts showed how far they would go to win in 2014.

"I think what this week has shown is a real ugly ruthlessness on behalf of our opponents, a real casualness with the exercise of power.

"They will do whatever it takes to win this referendum. This is their historic moment, this is what their entire political movement has been pointing towards for decades and I think this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the ruthlessness from them."