IT was standing room only at a packed Yes Scotland referendum event in Gourock — as Inverclyde voters flocked to hear Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

More than 250 people squeezed into the town’s Gamble Halls venue but there were only seats for 220 of them.

Residents who already know which way they will vote in just over five weeks were asked to make way for the queue of undecided voters which had formed outside.

Ms Sturgeon answered an array of varied questions on the issue of independence during the meeting, which was hailed as ‘great’ by MSP Stuart McMillan.

The Deputy First Minister said: “The opening of new campaign hubs and the hugely well attended public meetings we have seen in Inverclyde and across the length and breadth of Scotland shows that people are engaging with the referendum in unprecedented numbers and want to know what a Yes vote will mean for them.

“The more people know about what we can achieve as an independent country, the more support for a Yes vote grows.

“That is why events like the one in Inverclyde are so important and I am confident that they will help to convince people across Scotland to vote Yes in September.” Mr McMillan — who chaired the event — said: “Having Nicola take time from her diary to come to Inverclyde and answer questions from locals was great.

“To have more than 250 people attend, not to mention another few dozen outside who were unable to get in, on what was a very wet Friday night is truly fantastic.

“It proved, yet again, that people want to come and hear the case for independence and have questions they want answered.

“I know that as more and more people in Inverclyde hear the positive case for independence they will vote Yes in September.”