Ruth Davidson has defended the decision to readmit two Conservative councillors despite offensive comments they posted on social media.

Stirling councillors Alastair Majury and Robert Davies were suspended just weeks after being elected in May when online remarks that disparaged black people and Catholics were unearthed.

The Scottish Tory leader has faced criticism for allowing Davies and Majury to return to the party.

Davidson said she "fully understood" the criticism over the decision but wanted to give the two men an opportunity to change their behaviour.

A string of offensive tweets were brought to the party's attention after they were uncovered by the Stirling Observer and the Scottish Catholic Observer.

Under the Twitter account Mulder 1981, Majury tweeted in 2012: "Why is the Catholic Church against birth control? Because they'll run out of children to molest."

In another tweet from September last year, the councillor used the term "tarrier", a derogatory term for Catholics.

Through the Twitter account @resdavies, Davies posted a series of tweets in 2013 captioning a picture of black people waiting to board a cargo plane.

One tweet read: "In the interests of security keep your loin cloths with you at all times. Spears go in the overhead locker." Another tweet said: "No, I am not your lunch. I am your flight attendant."

Davidson conceded the behaviour of her councillors online had been "completely unacceptable".

She said: "As soon as these issues were raised with us we went to a full disciplinary.

"The tweets themselves were completely unacceptable, there is no equivocation about that, but I've been very strong in the past about wanting to change behaviour on social media and online.

"As well as a full disciplinary, as well as the sanction of being suspended, as well as a full and unreserved apology, both of the individuals indicated that they had a genuine wish to change their behaviour and I've got a decision to make then about whether I allow for that to happen."

Davidson said the pair would do diversity training and also meet anti-sectarian charity Nil By Mouth.

She added: "It's clear that if we're going to want to see a change in behaviour we than have to allow individuals to have that behaviour change.

"So, I do understand the criticism, I fully accept that what they said was wrong, it was wrong and if their behaviour doesn't change they are out.

"We've got to allow people the opportunity online to change and even if that's one person or two people at a time, then that's the way we're going to go about it."

Her comments come after Tory MP for Moray Douglas Ross was criticised for saying he would prioritse "tougher enforcement against gypsy travellers" if he was prime minister for a day.

SNP MSP James Dornan said: "She claims it was 'not easy' letting these two councillors back into the party - but not allowing racists and bigots back into her party should have been the easiest decision she's ever had to make.

"This pitiful explanation from Ruth Davidson does not shed any light on why people with such bigoted views are allowed in the Scottish Tories.

"Disgracefully, given the latest offensive remarks towards gypsy travellers from one of her MPs, it seems that anyone with bigoted and prejudiced views is more than welcome within her party."