FRESH claims have been made that the pro-independence campaign has been organising so-called cybernat attacks on pro-Union figures.

Yesterday Yes Scotland denounced what it described as "unsubstantiated" claims, saying they did nothing to raise the tone of the referendum debate.

Earlier this year, Alistair Darling, leader of the Better Together campaign, denounced what he described as the Nationalists' "disgraceful" internet campaign against those who spoke up for the Union, saying the attacks shamed Scotland.

At the weekend, the former Labour Chancellor, who had branded the cybernat criticism as "vile abuse", suggested the attacks had not gone away.

"It is a real problem. When I started doing this a few years ago, I didn't believe it but more and more people have said to me: 'We've been told to shut up.'

As an example Mr Darling cited attacks on Bill Munro, the founder of Barrhead Travel, after he emailed staff warning independence would be a 'complete disaster' .

"Look what happens when any business puts its head above the parapet, look what happens with the cybernats."

Pressed on whether or not he believed any senior figures in the Yes campaign had any involvement in the abuse, Mr Darling replied: "All I know is it seems to switch on and off remarkably uniformly. Remember, on the day we launched our campaign, one of our 'ordinary people' who appeared on stage was subject to the most violent online abuse?

"When she started complaining, and there was quite a fuss, it all stopped within 20 minutes."

In response, a spokesman for Yes Scotland pointed to a recent poll, which showed that while 8% of No supporters had been victims of online abuse, some 21% of Yes supporters had been.

He said: "It is incumbent on both sides of the argument, including Mr Darling, to ensure the debate is conducted in a respectful and courteous manner.

"Expressing unsubstantiated claims based on mere suspicion is not helpful and does nothing to raise the standard."