A former Celtic women's player charged with making a sectarian comment online claimed it was a "bit of banter", a court heard.

Megan McFadden, 20, admitted to officers that she had posted a comment on Facebook on the day of the Old Firm game on February 1, 2015.

When asked if she thought it was offensive she said it was "banter" between her and a friend, police constable Scott Beattie told McFadden’s trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

McFadden, from Drumchapel, is alleged to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm by acting in an abusive manner and posting offensive and sectarian remarks on her social network page.

She played for Celtic at the time but is no longer with the club. Mr Beattie said that on February 5, 2015, while working at Drumchapel Police Office, McFadden and her father turned up to speak to officers.

He said he asked her why she was at the station, adding: "She explained she had reporters at the front door in relation to a post that had been put on Facebook."

Mr Beattie gave evidence that she was detained and the reason for that was he "deemed the post she made to be sectarian".

The court heard during the police interview she told police she had used the phrase "dirty orange inbred monkey b*d".

She was asked by the constable: "At the time of the posting did you think the post would be deemed offensive?"

McFadden said she did not and that it was "a bit of banter between me and one of my friends".

The witness said she was arrested after the interview. Mr Beattie added: "She made admissions basically to posting this comment on Facebook so in that regard I had no other option other than to charge her for the offence."

The trial before sheriff David Young QC continues at a later date.