SCOTTISH Secretary Alistair Carmichael has asked Facebook to remove a web page that is offensive to Alex Salmond.

The page, which features a mocked-up image of the First Minister in a top ranking military officer's uniform, makes a crude personal comment and describes him as a "bigot who does not have a clue".

So far the page has attracted more than 1,500 messages of support from people logging on to the social networking site.

The Orkney and Shetland Liberal Democrat MP's attention was drawn to the page by a member of the public and he has approached Facebook and asked them to remove it.

He told members of the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee that the page was "inappropriate and ought to be closed down".

Last week Mr Carmichael revealed that he is being targeted by so-called Twitter Trolls who, he says, have been encouraged by Mr Salmond and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon.

He said the online ­troublemakers are ­characterising anyone who disagrees with ­independence as being anti-Scottish.

Mr Carmichael yesterday explained to MPs why he had attacked comments against him from ­Nationalists that he was a "supposed Scot".

"There is a real danger that if we don't point out these things, then this debate can take a turn for the poisonous," he said.

Ian Davidson, the Labour chair of the committee, also told MPs he had faced insults which  included comparing him to Nazis and saying that he should be shot.  One read: "Ian Davidson is to serious debate what Joseph Mengele was to anaesthetic surgery".