A man has appeared in court charged over being extremely offensive to his MP.

James Learmonth, 68, is accused of sending an email to SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh that "contained grossly offensive remarks".

The email is alleged to have been sent from Learmonth's home in Alloa to Ms Ahmed-Sheikh's constituency office in the Clackmannanshire town on December 1 last year.

Learmonth, who is hard of hearing, appeared in the dock at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday.

His solicitor, Ms Toni Pentecost, asked for the case to be continued without plea, stating: "There are some inquiries I would like to make."

Sheriff Gillian Wade QC agreed for the case to be continued without plea until February 29.

She released Learmonth, who had appeared in answer to an undertaking, on bail, which the Crown did not oppose.

Bail conditions include a ban on Learmonth "interfering with potential witnesses", including Chelsea-born Ms Ahmed-Sheikh, 45, a former chairwoman of Edinburgh Central Young Conservatives who defected to the SNP in 2000.

She was returned as the MP for the constituency of Ochil and South Perthshire, ousting Labour from the seat, which includes Alloa, as part of the SNP landslide at the general election.