NICOLA Sturgeon has said she was "profoundly shocked" to learn of alleged remarks made by the Prime Minister about allowing coronavirus deaths to grow. 

As reported this morning, the Prime Minister is claimed to have said he would "let the bodies pile high into their thousands" and added: " no more f******g lockdowns".

Government ministers have strongly denied that Mr Johnson made the remarks with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace this morning describing them as "just not true".

Asked about the reports by journalists this morning, Nicola Sturgeon said she was appalled by the remarks, if true.

She said: "I feel a combination of being shocked, profoundly shocked at any suggestion that was said, but also, on some level, not being that surprised.

" I don't know if he said it because I wasn't there, but based on my experiences of him I don't find it impossible to believe. On the contrary, it is all too believable."

She continued: "For any Prime Minister, for any human being, to be so glib and crass about human life, is profoundly shocking. 

"I can only speak for myself, as First Minister over the past years I can't begin to tell you the hours I've spent lying awake at night worrying about the impact of the decisions we're taking, about whether we're doing enough to save lives and what the impact of all of that was having on businesses.

"This has been a profoundly serious situation that we've all faced and I think it will upset and shock everybody to hear the very suggestion that a Prime Minister may have said something like that." 

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat Mp for Orkney and Shetland, said the remarks were "atrocious".

He said: " If this quote is correct, it is a truly atrocious comment from an atrocious Prime Minister. When Johnson himself was hospitalised well wishes flooded in from across the country, it's sad that he does not share the shame concern for others.

"Not only do these comments display a callous disregard for the tens of thousands who have lost their lives but they display a profound misunderstanding of how the public health and economic crises intertwine.

"You cannot simply open up, allow the virus to rampant and assume the economy will flourish.

"Boris Johnson and acolytes like Douglas Ross have delivered one of the highest death rates in the world. They should not now be trusted with leading the recovery."

Mr Johnson, his official spokesman and government ministers have all denied that he made the remarks. Several sources, so far unnamed, have claimed the comments were made after a meeting about lockdowns in Downing Street. It is alleged Mr Johnson shouted the remarks and a door was open, so several staff members overheard.