SCOTLAND'S leading anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth is calling for a summit on controversial parades in the wake of the Orangefest event in Glasgow's George Square which sparked major protest and demands for it to be scrapped.

Campaign director Dave Scott insisted Scotland needs "a proper grown up debate about marches and events of this kind" and his calls were backed by a leading member of Scotland's anti-sectarian taskforce.

Edinburgh University sociologist Dr Michael Rosie, who was part of the Scottish Government commissioned Independent Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism, also spoke out after attending the Orange Order event yesterday.

Organisers described their cultural and heritage day as a success despite being forced to scale it back considerably because of gale-force winds of up to 50mph and heavy rain.

An online petition opposing the event was signed by more than 28,000 people, however, the woman who launched it, Julie Philp, had to delete her Facebook and Twitter accounts after receiving death threats.

Now Scott and Rosie insist that the time is ripe for change after Orangefest, and a summit on events like loyalist and republican parades should now be established.

Scott said: "'Given the sheer volume which take place across Scotland we need to have a proper grown up debate about marches and events of this kind and the Scottish Government could, and should, lead it.

"Local authorities also need to be clear about what powers they need to tighten regulation and be prepared to make transparent decisions which involve not just organisers but the communities these events and parades take place in.

"Organisers need to grasp that the right to hold such events in public areas is not absolute and that the cultural and religious landscape of Scotland has changed dramatically in the last few decades. It's no longer a case of 'we march where we want'.

"We also need to examine how events and processions of this kind are paid for. Millions of pounds of public money are spent each year policing these events and it may be time to implement a 'fair usage' policy in terms of organisations being able to pass the bill for policing to the taxpayer.

"At the same time an increasingly secular civic Scotland needs to remember that faith and belief is an important part of people's lives. "

Rosie insisted it was now time to "open the box". He said: "There needs to be a debate. I think that for a long time in Scotland people have been worried and fearful about sectarianism. It is something we haven't wanted to talk about often for fear that we will make it worse.

"If the advisory group has done anything I would hope that it has got people such as parading organisations, police, government, all those people, talking about it.

"It is time to open the box because there might be less in the box than we fear and it is time for a debate. "

However, Rosie said it was up to communities to take charge and make a change instead of leaving it to the politicians.

He added: "Why should it be the Scottish Government who leads this debate because they have already done quite a lot in the last four years around sectarianism and although it's received a bit of criticism about it, I think it has done its bit and it is now over to the rest of us to do something about it.

"Why leave it to the politicians? I guess my challenge would be that if you think sectarianism is a bad thing and a problem in your communities then you need to speak to the relevant people about it."

Rosie said the very fact that the Orange Order invited members of the public as well as the Catholic Church, the Irish consul and the Muslim Council of Scotland, was a "big step".

He said: "One of the things the advisory group would like to happen is for a bit more talking to go on because there are clearly a lot of people who don't like parades.

"We would like for the parading organisations to talk to communities they may impact on, and have concerns about it, to try and break down some of the myths and tensions around them."

The Scottish Government welcomed the recommendations of the advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism and said they would be given full consideration.

A spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government fully respects the right of groups to hold marches and parades, but also recognises the need to balance the right to march or hold a parade with the rights of communities in those areas affected by such events to go about their business undisturbed and without fear for their safety."