A petition calling on the Scottish Government to do more to protect the world's poorest people has been signed by more than 6000 people.

The petition is part of the Put People and Planet First campaign by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (Sciaf).

As well as calling for action to reduce poverty, the campaign urges First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to act so the Scottish Government meets its climate change targets and ensures Scottish businesses abroad uphold human rights standards.

Sciaf director Alistair Dutton joined campaigners meeting Scottish international development minister Alasdair Allan in Edinburgh on Thursday to deliver the petition.

Mr Dutton said Scots have a "moral responsibility" to try to do what they can to help people around the world.

He said: "The Scottish Government must do everything it can to fight poverty at home and overseas.

"People who are poor and suffer injustice in developing countries often struggle to live at all and repeatedly tell us how life is becoming harder and harder because of their changing climate.

"Since the industrial revolution and the invention of the steam engine, which started here in Scotland, we in the West have enjoyed enormous benefit - but that has come with the price of carbon emissions and what it's doing to the climate, so I think we have a moral responsibility to try and do what we can to try and help people around the world who are also dealing with that change in climate."

Mr Allan said Scotland has a "long tradition" of involvement in the developing world, with strong links to countries such as Malawi, leading to Scottish projects in the fields of health, childcare and human rights.

The minister added: "We should be doing everything we can to ensure that there's a fair deal for the developing world and that Scotland remembers that.

"The Scottish Government is very involved with Sciaf on many projects across the world.

"We've contributed nearly £80m since 2005 to ensure that Scotland plays its role in just that."