The First Minister has rejected calls to widen the inquiry into child abuse to include football clubs.

Nicola Sturgeon was asked to make the move by the Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale at First Minister's Questions on Thursday.

The inquiry, which is being led by Lady Smith, will examine child abuse against those who were in the legal care of the state or other organisations.

Last month, the education secretary John Swinney rejected calls by some child abuse survivors to widen the inquiry to investigate all child abuse.

The First Minister said widening the scope of the inquiry may damage its ability to function properly.

She told MSPs: "To widen the remit of that inquiry would mean that it would take perhaps many years longer to conclude its investigations and would risk it becoming completely unwieldy.

"We would be at risk I think of breaking our word to the survivors of in-care abuse.

"My view is we should allow that inquiry to get on with its job and we should allow the police to get on with their job of investigating allegations of abuse in football."

In recent weeks a number of former youth footballers have publicly stated they were abused by football coaches, including some at Scottish clubs.

The Scottish Football Association has called on victims of abuse to "speak out" to help "prevent other children and young people being harmed and abused".

Speaking after First Minister's Questions, Dugdale said: "In recent days we have discovered that our national game is not so beautiful. Football has become enmeshed in society's shame - child sex abuse.

"Once again, trusted people who were expected to care for and nurture our children have been found to be abusing them."

She continued: "Former footballers have found the courage to come forward and disclose how they suffered abuse at the hands of paedophile coaches.

"Yet they will not be able to bring their cases to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry because they were not in care when they were abused.

"This is true for all those who suffered abuse in youth groups, parishes or other sports clubs.

"Survivors of child abuse deserve justice and the wait for the inquiry has already been too long. It holds out the promise of justice, but in restricting just who - and what - will be investigated, it will deny that justice.

"That cannot be right."