NICOLA Sturgeon warned one of her senior Covid advisers that the media could deliberately twist her words during the pandemic.

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry – which is sitting in Edinburgh this week - heard Professor Devi Sridhar told the former first minister in a message exchange her words had been “twisted” in some articles by the media.

Sturgeon responded saying: “Don’t worry – I fully understand how the media can twist words, sometimes deliberately.

“I think what you say is powerful and clear though – and has had a big influence on my thinking.”

Sridhar was questioned by Jamie Dawson KC at the inquiry on Tuesday alongside national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch.

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The inquiry was also told that Sturgeon said to Sridhar that tackling the virus was more important when she expressed concerns about breaking protocol.

Messages on Twitter/X between the pair in June 2020 showed Sridhar told Sturgeon she had drafted a note for the chief medical officer on key steps to managing outbreak in Scotland looking forward.

She said: “I’m happy to share a draft with you as well but don’t want to overstep or break protocol.”

Sturgeon replied: “That would be very helpful, (Don’t worry about protocol – tackling the virus more important than that and I’ll handle any issues on that front).”

The former FM said Sridhar could send the correspondence “privately” and provided an SNP email address for this purpose.

Sridhar told the inquiry her role on an advisory group came at a “major cost” as she was subjected to public abuse and death threats.

“I won’t go into too much depth but I received death threats, I received racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia,” she said.

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“I’ve taken it because I think the bigger idea is that we try to help each other and do good and be true to that.”

She said she “didn’t know” if she would put herself forward again.

Sridhar, who is the chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, spoke earlier in the inquiry about “frustration” that existed in Scotland over aspects of science being reserved.

She told the inquiry how Sage - the UK’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - had been “incredibly secretive” and cited the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation not being devolved as a potential problem for Scotland.

Sridhar added that “in hindsight” it may have been helpful for the Scottish Government to have set up its own scientific advisory body sooner than it did. She insisted the group had “real transparency” when it was operating.