The full-time return of children to school has placed an unprecedented demand on Scotland’s Covid-19 testing capacity, the country’s education secretary has admitted.

John Swinney said there has been “very heavy demand on testing capacity” because there are “a lot of colds and sniffles around” and families are understandably erring on the side of caution when it comes to having their children tested for Covid-19.

Scotland has the capacity to carry out around 40,000 coronavirus tests a day, said Mr Swinney in an interview today on BBC Radio Scotland. He said steps are being taken to expand that capacity “as quickly as possible”.

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However, some people requesting tests say they have been asked to travel long distances, with some even being referred to centres in Northern Ireland.

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Mr Swinney said: “There is very heavy demand on testing capacity just now; we became aware of this over the course of the weekend and into yesterday. And I think it’s simply a product of the volume of demand for testing that is going on at this particular moment. Now there are steps being taken to expand the capacity of testing, as we speak, to make sure there are more sites and more opportunities available.”

Asked if the system was being clogged up by children returning to school and catching bugs, Mr Swinney said: “I think essentially it’s about unprecedented demand and I think that is to do with the fact that obviously schools have returned, obviously there’s a lot of colds and sniffles around, [and] I think, obviously families are erring on the side of caution, and I understand that entirely.”

Mr Swinney said the guidance was clear and that it was only those with a “pretty clearly defined” set of symptoms who should be going forward for testing. Those symptoms are: a new persistent cough, a loss of taste or smell and a fever.

The news of Scotland’s over-stretched testing system came as the GMB union made a call for school support staff to be able to access testing in school.

The union carried out a survey of more than 1,400 members - who are employed in roles such as cleaners, janitors, caterers and pupil support assistants - and found 96 per cent believed that regular testing should be offered at work.

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) said they felt unsafe while more than a fifth (23 per cent) reported a suspected or positive case of Covid-19 at work.