ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

An independent Scotland would lose the protection of Britain’s intelligence agencies and find it “very difficult” to protect its citizens against terrorism, Theresa May warned today.

In a report to Parliament, the Home Secretary said that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ could not share information about terror suspects and possible attacks if Scotland became independent.

She said that Britain would have “no responsibility” for Scotland as a foreign country, and warned of “profound consequences” for defence and security if independence went ahead.

Mrs May’s warning came in a report on the impact of independence on security for Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The Home Office report warns that Scotland would find it expensive and “very difficult” to create and maintain its own “security infrastructure” and warns that in the intervening period there “would be a risk to both Scotland and the continuing UK of diminished security”.

Announcing the findings, Mrs May said: “This report sets out the security consequences of independence, not just for Scotland but for the UK as a whole. Undoubtedly we are stronger and safer together.”

The Scottish National Party, which heads the Edinburgh government, insists that it will be able to protect its citizens in a future independent nation with a proposed defence and security budget of £2.5 billion.

But the report compares this figure “unfavourably” with the £35 billion which the UK currently spends on defence.