Alex Salmond should quit the Remain campaign as he is using the vote to push independence instead of EU membership, the Scottish Liberal Democrats leader has said.

Willie Rennie's comments come a day after the former SNP leader said Brexit would lead a second independence referendum and Scotland leaving the UK in the next two years.

Rennie accused the Gordon MP of using the EU campaign "to advance Scottish independence" rather than to secure a Remain vote in next month's referendum.

He said: "He spends more time rubbishing the official Remain campaign and promoting Scottish independence than making the positive case to remain in Europe.

"This week in Parliament, MSPs from all parties made the clear, passionate, positive case for Scotland remaining part of the EU.

"But Alex Salmond seems more interested in using the Europe poll to advance the cause of Scottish independence than actively working to keep us in the EU.

"Too many senior figures in the SNP are approaching this 2016 referendum with a 2014 mindset. Alex Salmond is a serial offender.

"His threats about another independence vote may encourage his supporters to back Brexit. His attacks on the remain campaign are undermining it and risking Brexit.

"On both counts he is risking our place in the European Union, not supporting it. Alex Salmond should opt out of the campaign before he does any more damage."

The former First Minister's comments on Brexit and independence were made while he was speaking as a pro-Remain panellist on a televised referendum debate.

The SNP defended their former leader and said he made an "outstanding" case for voting to remain in the referendum.

They also called on Willie Rennie to stop "attacking" the party over "anything and everything".

A party spokesman said: "Alex Salmond made an absolutely outstanding and overwhelming case for Scotland and the UK's continued membership of the EU on last night's TV debate.

"His passionate arguments on the benefits of EU membership on migration, on employment opportunities for younger people and on the wider benefits of membership to our economy were well received by the audience of young people, including when answering a specific question from an audience member about Scottish independence.

"Willie Rennie needs to make up his mind quickly what his top priority is - attacking the SNP over everything and anything, or joining our efforts to keep Scotland in Europe."

Article 49 of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty stipulates that it would take two years for a member state to withdraw through negotiations.

The former First Minister said a second referendum on independence would be held "within the two year period of the UK negotiating to withdraw".