Pupils from a Perthshire school became embroiled in an online spat with an MP at the weekend.
Pete Wishart, the SNP MP for Perth and North Perthshire, took part in Brian Taylor’s Big Debate, which was hosted by Strathallan School, near Forgandenny.
A poll held at the end of the event revealed just three people in the audience were in favour of an independent Scotland.
Mr Wishart responded to this by remarking that he expected such results at a fee-paying school.
He was met with boos and jeers and later posted a message on Twitter saying: “I think we can concede we’re a bit behind with the posh private school constituency.”
This sparked a wave of negative responses from his followers about the results of the debate, the BBC and Strathallan itself.
Several students defended their school and one youngster posted: “Hardly convincing us ‘private school’ people to vote for independence by insulting and stereotyping us.”
Meanwhile, when another pupil corrected Mr Wishart by pointing out that Strathallan is independent rather than private.
In a message that has since been deleted, he launched a scathing attack on their grammar.
The young girl subsequently claimed that she was dyslexic and the politician was dubbed “pathetic” and “incredibly unprofessional”.
The debate soon descended into a trading of insults, with some students calling Mr Wishart a “gimp”.
He posted several of these messages and later wrote: “Being insulted by private school kids is something else.”
The Courier contacted Strathallan School, but they declined to comment.
Mr Wishart said: “I think I have spoken at nearly all the schools in my constituency in Perthshire but have never experienced the discourtesy shown by the pupils at Strathallan.
“The abuse that followed on Twitter was particularly distasteful, particularly when there is so much attention focused on online behaviour.”