SCOTS have hit out at Netflix psychological thriller series Behind Her Eyes for branding people from Scotland as "stingy", "bad-tempered" and "miserable" and even that some lines were "racist".

The series tells the story of David (Tom Bateman), a psychiatrist caught in a seemingly toxic marriage with his wife, Adele, (Eve Hewson) and an affair with his secretary, Louise (Simona Brown).

There was anger that none of the two main characters were Scots.

It has also come under fire online for its 'brutal' Scottish accents - with one of the leads being played by Oxford's Tom Bateman putting on a Scottish accent.

But there is criticism of the dialogue too, with one scene one character – a secretary called Sue – remarks of Tom’s “miserable” character: “They say that about the Scots, don’t they?”

Louise responds: 'Stingy, isn't it?'

Later, after a heated conversation between Louise and David, Sue says: 'Told you – Scottish. Bad tempered, aren't they?' After watching the drama, Glaswegian singer Eddi Reader, said: "Forget about the mad plot... did anyone else catch the anti-scot Script?? Apparently all 'Scots' are either 'miserable' or 'mean'.

She added: "I'm pretty certain a script saying 'aren't all English/Black/Jewish/Asians/ mean and miserable' wouldn't get the funding .... but hey-ho I dont accept it and never ever will."

The series includes Robert Aramayo, a Yorkshireman, playing a Scottish junkie, which some claimed also perpetuated stereotypes.

Ms Reader, of rock band Fairground Attraction added: "I think it’s the duty of all Scots to raise this bigotry... to question every time it raises its talentless, passionless, damaged head."

Ms Reader also thought the series which is currently being shown in the US and other countries - could be damaging to Scots.

She added: "Other populations and countries get to hear that Scots are 'miserable' and 'mean’'.

Although she praised lead actress Simona's performance, she added: "I just question the inclusion of the anti-Scot script... seemed totally unnecessary."

The six-episode series is adapted from the bestselling novel by Sarah Pinborough and responded publicly to one of Eddi’s comments, telling her: “I’m half Scottish so defo wasn’t meant that way.”

Ms Reader said she spoke online with the author who said she had no role in the adaptation process.

When her thriller Behind Her Eyes was published in 2017, even she described it as a “Marmite book”. Her publisher slapped on equally dire warnings, hyping it with the hashtag #WTFthatending.

Stewart Hosie, SNP MP for Dundee East, added: “These daft, tasteless, inaccurate and very outdated stereotypes should be consigned to history.” Neither of the two main Scottish characters in the series are played by Scots. Oxford-born Tom Bateman puts on a Scottish accent, dubbed “brutal” by some viewers.

Behind Her Eyes has now sold almost 1m copies around the world, and the Netflix adaptation is set to propel sales further still.

Amazon reviews give an insight into its Marmite quality, ranging from five stars and “a wicked ending”, to “a good story ruined by a preposterous ending”.

Behind Her Eyes is the story of Louise,  a single mother whose "world is thrown off kilter" when she has a one-night stand with a man in a bar, only to discover that he is her new boss, David.

Matters take an stranger turn when Louise’s new friend Adele  also happens to be David’s wife.

As Louise gets to know the couple, she sees the cracks in their marriage widen.

Netflix has been contacted for comment.