Alex Salmond in 'agony' after cracking rib during village gala penalty shootout

Former first minister Alex Salmond revealed he has been campaigning through the pain barrier as he bids to retain his seat at Westminster.

Mr Salmond said he had been in "agony'' after cracking a rib during a visit to a village gala day in Aberdeenshire.

The former SNP leader, who is the party's candidate in the Gordon constituency, told how he suffered the injury after scoring at a penalty shoot-out stall at the Kintore Summer Festival on Saturday May 20.

He revealed details of the incident when he appeared on Scotland's Talk In on Bauer Radio, saying: "Listeners would have heard me cough occasionally, it's not so much that I've got a cold, I can't cough properly because I cracked my rib and it's agony every time I try to cough, or laugh, or sneeze - sneezing is the worst incidentally.''

He said it had been "monsoon conditions'' when he went round the various stalls at the event.

Mr Salmond said: "There was this penalty competition where you have to spin round the top 10 times, which makes you dizzy obviously. I spun round the top 10 times, scored with the penalty and then fell flat on my face.

"I thought nothing of it, I jumped up and was fine, but at 10 o'clock on the Saturday night, my ribs started to ache. It was really, really score.

"But I want it noted I did score with the penalty.''