The Scottish Greens will stand in only three constituencies at the general election, the party has announced.

The confirmation comes after STV News revealed on Tuesday the party was not going to qualify for an election broadcast as it was planning to stand in less than a sixth of Scottish constituencies.

At the last general election two years ago, the Greens fielded 32 candidates across the country.

Green co-convener Patrick Harvie will contest the Glasgow North constituency while the party will also be on the ballot paper in Falkirk and Edinburgh North and Leith.

Yvonne McLellan, who jointly heads the party's elections committee, said the party is "targeting its resources".

She added: "In the same way that the Greens in England focused efforts on Brighton to elect Caroline Lucas to Westminster, we believe by targeting we can work towards Scotland electing its first Green MP."

The pro-independence party criticised STV after the broadcaster chose not to invite Harvie to its general election debate on May 24.

A Green spokesman called the decision "bizarre" and warned the programme would "have a lack of balance" around the independence question.

An STV spokeswoman said: ""Under the Ofcom code, STV is required to consider historical election performance and our editorial decision is to include the leaders of the four largest parties in Scotland in its debate on May 24."

The Scottish Greens have never won a Westminster seat and polled 1.3% of the national vote in 2015, behind the four largest parties and UKIP.

Conservative MSP Ross Thomson, who is standing in the general election, said: "The Greens are pretty much admitting they aren't a political party any more.

"People will wonder what they're more afraid of, the electorate or their SNP masters.

"Considering they're sitting out this important election, I look forward to them withdrawing from the TV debates too."