A schoolgirl left with "tears and snotters" after realising local lockdown restrictions meant she could not meet her best friend has had a personal apology from the First Minister.

Seven-year-old Heather, from North Lanarkshire, is said to have been distraught when she noticed the rain on Saturday, meaning she and her best pal could not play indoors.

It comes after local lockdown restrictions were imposed in both North and South Lanarkshire following a rise in positive cases in the area.

Dr Katrina Farrell shed light on young Heather's plight in a tweet to Nicola Sturgeon, explaining she is "trying to be brave".

She wrote: "Tears and snotters here this morning. We live in N. Lanarkshire. And it's stoating down.

"Which means Heather, 7, can't play with her best pal. She understands why (because @NicolaSturgeon said) is trying to be brave.

"And tbh, I can understand when she wails 'but it's not fair'."

Ms Sturgeon was quick to offer apologies - and thanked Heather for being "so responsible".

She replied: "Tell Heather I’m sorry she can’t play with her pal but I’m really pleased she’s being so responsible. Sending her a big thank you and a virtual hug."

And the short message is said to have made Heather's day "a wee bit better already", according to Dr Farrell.

Ms Sturgeon took to Twitter earlier this morning to remind residents living in Lanarkshire that rules that had been previously imposed in other parts of the west of Scotland now applied to them.

She urged people not to visit other households unless providing care due to the rising number of cases across the Central Belt.

"COVID is on the rise again across the UK and Europe" she wrote on Twitter. "Keeping it under control requires care and vigilance from all of us. And bluntly, it means restricting as far as possible our interactions with other households.

"So I am asking everyone to follow some important advice.

"If - as I do - you live in Glasgow, East or West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North or South Lanarkshire, please do not visit other households at all for now (unless providing care).

"Cases are rising fastest in central belt so we must be extra vigilant here.

"In the rest of the country, please limit social gatherings, indoors and outdoors, to 6 people from a maximum of 2 households (children under 12 don’t count towards the limit of 6)."