An exclusive poll has revealed nearly 60% of Press and Journal readers are opposed to another referendum on Scottish independence.

Out of the 1,000 subscribers who responded in five hours yesterday, 57.8% said they were against another vote while 42.2% backed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s plans.

The survey did find that more people would favour an independent Scotland this time round than in 2014.

A total of 42.1% said they would vote Yes, compared with 37.2% who would vote No, while 19.3% indicated they did not want a referendum because the country was too divided and 1.4% were undecided.

The respondents were also asked how their views on the independence question had changed after recent events.

The majority had not changed their minds with 49.1% of those who voted No last time round prepared to make the same choice again, while 33.2% said they willing to vote Yes again.

Only 9.3% of those who voted No two years ago were prepared to switch to Yes in a new referendum, but 8.4% of those who voted Yes in 2014 replied they would switch.

The P&J launched the snap just hours after Ms Sturgeon announced her government was already drafting up legislation required for a referendum, and said it could happen within two years.

Every local authority area in Scotland voted to stay in the EU, but the country still faces Brexit.

The SNP manifesto for May’s Scottish Parliament election said there should be another ballot if there was a “significant and material” change in circumstances from the 2014 vote, such as Scotland being taken out of the EU against its will.

Ms Sturgeon said yesterday: “Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, and I welcome that endorsement of our European status.

“The vote here makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union.”

But Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson claimed the result of the independence referendum still stood.

She added: “The 1.6 million votes cast in this referendum in favour of remain, do not wipe away the two million votes that we cast less than two years ago.

“And we do not address the challenges of leaving the European Union by leaving our own union of nations, our biggest market and our closest friends.”