Scotland's newest newspaper, the Scottish Standard, has closed less than two months after it was launched, with the loss of 12 editorial jobs.

The paid-for weekly was published by Flagship Media Group and had hoped to attract readers with a pro-independence stance, but sales of the newspaper had been disappointing.

The Standard's initial print run was 50,000, but the first issue only sold 11,000, and by the final, seventh, issue sales had fallen to around 5,500.

Flagship media also publishes a number of trade magazines and some of the paper's staff have been redeployed within the group, but all of Standard editorial staff have been made redundant.

Managing director Derek Carstairs said 800 Scottish National Party activists had pledged their support for the paper, but this had failed to materialise.

He said: "I spent £500,000 on it but I would have had to put another £500,000 in to consolidate it.

"I hadn't been looking to make a profit and had been planning to put the money into the Scottish National Party, but they did nothing for us and I wasn't willing to spend the money."