Nicola Sturgeon 'pleased' after meeting with London Mayor Sadiq Khan

Nicola Sturgeon has hailed the strengthening of links between Scotland and London after meeting the capital's new mayor Sadiq Khan.

Scotland's First Minister and Mr Khan discussed improving connections between the two economies at a meeting at City Hall.

Also on the agenda was the upcoming referendum on European Union (EU) membership, with both strongly in favour of staying in.

Speaking after the meeting, Ms Sturgeon said: "I was pleased to meet Sadiq Khan early in his tenure as the new London Mayor.

"He has a wealth of experience behind him and it is clear to me that he will bring fresh ideas for developing a stronger working relationship between London and Scotland.

"Scotland is already the most prosperous part of the country outside of London. We've got the people, the natural resources, the research base and the international reputation to achieve greater success in the future.

"I want to see our links with London strengthened and we will be opening a new hub for the Scottish Government and our agencies to build better business links in London later this year."

The First Minister said Scotland and London could also "share experiences" in areas including educational attainment and transport policy.

On the EU referendum, she added: "One area where we have shared interest is the importance of remaining in the European Union for both or our economies.

"Membership of the EU has been good for the prosperity and well-being of everyone across our country, and plays a crucial role in the success of our financial services and international export industries.

"I look forward to developing our stronger ties."