NICOLA Sturgeon has insisted there "is not an anti-English bone in my body" and that she loves England.

The SNP leader made her remarks as she took part in a Mumsnet webchat when a questioner from England raised "anti-English rhetoric" in the run-up to last year's independence referendum.

She replied: "There is not an anti-English bone in my body. I am the granddaughter of an English woman. I love England and her people and, regardless of politics, consider you to be family...and always will."

Asked about the election and the issue of whether or not it would be a mandate for a second referendum, Ms Sturgeon said: "Even if we win every seat in Scotland on Thursday - which is not a prediction - it is not a mandate for another referendum. It is about making Scotland's voice heard and then using that voice for better politics at Westminster, for Scotland and everyone else across the UK."

One questioner asked if in wanting to scrap Trident, she was fearful that Britain could be losing a major defence deterrent.

The party leader insisted she opposed nuclear weapons in principle and explained: "It's wrong to have weapons that at the press of a button could wipe out whole swathes of civilisation.

"The obsession with Trident sacrifices conventional defences, which have been cut in recent years. And in times of constrained resources if there is £100bn to spend, it should be spent on health and childcare rather than on nuclear weapons."

Asked how politicians kept going when they were absolutely exhausted and had had very little sleep, the Glasgow MSP replied: "Adrenalin, belief and, in my case, a daily dose of Berrocca Boost."