BORIS Johnson's assertion that the 2012 Olympics and its appeal to Britishness have cost First Minister Alex Salmond his dream of an independent Scotland was dismissed by the SNP last night as a "cack-handed attempt" to politicise the London Games, which would merely help boost the independence campaign.

The London Mayor's comments came during a Twitter exchange when he said: "The Scots are never going to vote for independence. These Games have done for Salmond. Vote Hoy."

This was a reference to gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy's previous statement, in which he said: "I'm Scottish and I'm British, you can be both."

SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson said: "This cack-handed attempt by Boris to politicise the Games is a serious error of judgement."