The director of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities has welcomed today’s announcement by Nicola Sturgeon that places of worship north of the border will be able to resume services from July 15 with limited and socially distanced attendances.

Ephraim Borowski thanked the Scottish government for “working closely with, and listening to, all faith communities, to ensure inclusion and open discussion around matters relating to faith and religion in Scotland.

“It is vital we continue to follow guidelines and put precautions in place to ensure that all communities remain safe and healthy.

“We have been holding regular meetings with all of Scotland's Jewish communities to discuss issues arising from the pandemic and will continue to do so in order to ensure we can maximise participation and the safety of our communities."

Mr Borowski had been critical of the delay in restarting services in Scotland, suggesting the government had been putting “pubs before prayer”.

Synagogues in England have been reopening this week after Boris Johnson eased restrictions to allow places of worship to hold services from July 4.