The Scottish Parliament has been petitioned by a man who wants consensual incestuous relationships to be decriminalised.

It is the third time Richard Morris has tried to change the country's laws on incest.

Mr Morris, who was the sole signatory of the petition, said he was inspired to try again to tell MSPs "how wrong you are about us".

"These laws are destroying lives, breaking up loving families and creating a breeding ground for hate and fear to be perpetuated," he wrote.

"In a free and democratic society, this is nothing short of intolerable, inexcusable and unacceptable."

Holyrood's public petitions committee decided not to pursue his bid.

Deputy committee convener, SNP MSP Angus MacDonald said: "This is in similar terms to two previous petitions lodged by the same petitioner.

"The most recent petition was considered by us at our meeting on September 15, 2016.

"At that meeting we agreed to close the petition on the basis that the Scottish Law Commission undertook a report on this issue as recently as 2007 and concluded that the majority view at the time favoured retaining the offence and the current definition."

Fellow SNP MSP Rona Mackay said she did not "see any merit in it whatsoever".

The other two members of the panel, Conservative MSPs Brian Whittle and Michelle Ballantyne, also moved to have the petition closed.

Incestuous consensual relationships are outlawed under the Criminal Consolidation (Scotland) Act 1995 and those convicted can face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Judges rarely hand down such a heavy sentence.

In 2011, a brother and sister from Carluke, South Lanarkshire, both escaped a custodial sentence after pleading guilty to the crime.