Scotland's First Minister is quizzed every Thursday by MSPs on a range of topics. This week, in an unprecedented event, Nicola Sturgeon has faced one of the most demanding audiences: children and young people.

A hundred Scots, aged between eight and 24, put their questions to the First Minister in a special edition of STV's current affairs programme Scotland Tonight.

Mental health was one of the big issues of the debate, with one young woman questioning the Government's commitment to provide support for pupils. The First Minister came under pressure when asked why the SNP abstained in a motion that requested the implementation of counsellors in every school.

In reply, Sturgeon reiterated mental health is at the heart of the programme for government.

She said: "Last week we announced plans that are going to increase counsellors across schools - 350 counsellors working across schools, so that all secondary schools will have access to counselling services.

"We have plans to introduce a mental wellbeing service for people aged age five through to 24 to make sure there's quick access to counselling or peer-to-peer support. If we get that right, then hopefully fewer young people have to go into specialist care."

Quizzed on Brexit, the First Minister said that she "wouldn't stand in the way" of another EU referendum.

But she added: "I think the big question for Scotland though is how do we make sure that we don't end up in the same situation again, where Scotland votes one way but because the rest of the UK votes another way we effectively end up being taken in a direction against our will?".

One boy asked the First Minister about the possibility of enhancing tolerance awareness training in schools.

Sturgeon said "making sure that people are tolerant, don't discriminate and don't indulge in bigotry is already a core part of the curriculum for excellence."

She explained she went through periods of bullying, especially during primary school, and added "differences shouldn't be criticised, but celebrated."

The First Minister also took a question about Islamophobia from a representative of the Federation of Societies of Islamic Students, who highlighted the spectre of religious and racial abuse.

Sturgeon replied: "We take a very simple view: we must have zero tolerance to any attacks that are based on somebody's faith, or race, or culture.

"We must unite as a country and say there's absolutely no excuse for it, and no tolerance of it."

In a more relaxed round of questions, she was asked for her views on the new recipe for Irn Bru and she confessed she liked it more than the original.

She also told she would be keen to appear on Dancing on Ice, and joked that maybe she could be a contestant, while retaining her duties as head of the Scottish government.

The first ever First Minister's Questions: Next Generation was held in conjunction with YouthLink Scotland and Children in Scotland, as part of the Year of Young People 2018.

Scotland Tonight: FMQs Next Generation edited highlights and full version can be watched on the STV Player