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A Scottish Tory who was removed from the teaching register after branding Nicola Sturgeon a “drooling hag” has been selected as a general election candidate.

Kathleen Leslie, who also described the lottery-winning Weir family as “uneducated fat f******”, will stand for Boris Johnson’s party in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

An SNP spokesman said: “It is beyond belief that the Tories think someone struck off the teachers register is suitable to stand for MP.

“We know the Tories have questionable taste in candidates - but they’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

Leslie, at that point a registered teacher, unleashed a series of insulting posts on social media ahead of the independence referendum.

She wrote of Sturgeon: “Wee jimmy krankie is a drooling hag. She’s a walking horror show.”

Leslie, who taught at Woodmill High in Dunfermline, also wrote: “That wee fish wife was there?! At taxpayer expense no doubt.

“Feel sorry for poor bugger sat next to her grim face.”

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A complaint was made about offensive tweets to the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) watchdog.

Leslie admitted her fitness to teach was impaired, and she waived her right to a full hearing because she no longer wished to continue teaching after her election. She quit as a teacher after getting elected to Fife Council.

The GTCS also barred her from applying to return to teaching for two years.

At the time, she said: “I chose not to exercise my right to take the issue to a hearing, as I no longer wished to continue teaching, having decided to fully commit myself to representing my ward, ensuring that the interests of my constituents were being served and their voices heard.

“During my years of teaching I was never under any scrutiny as regards my professionalism and performance in the classroom.”

Despite agreeing to be removed from the register, she was recently selected by the Tories to contest a seat currently held by Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird.

The Tories came third in the seat two years ago after polling over 10,000 votes.

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “Kathleen has apologised for the comments she made. She has a great record as a local councillor in Fife and has the party’s full support.”