A PETITION calling for a change to the name of the Queensferry Crossing in honour of former first minister Alex Salmond has gathered more than a thousand signatures.
More than 1400 people have so far put their names to the call for the bridge to be renamed following the sudden death of the former first minister in North Macedonia, aged 69.
On Monday evening, a post-mortem examination confirmed Salmond’s cause of death as a heart attack.
Creator of the petition Dave Llewylyn claimed on the webpage: "Alex Salmond was responsible for the largest capital infrastructure project in Scotland in the building of the Queensferry Crossing.
"As a memorial to him and his accomplishments in Scottish politics it should be renamed 'The Alex Salmond Bridge'."
Other suggestions include the "Alex Salmond Memorial Bridge".
Salmond revealed the outcome of the "Name the Bridge" public vote as first minister in 2013.
The poll attracted around 7600 unique suggestions and more than 37,000 votes during a seven-month process to find a permanent name for the Forth replacement road crossing.
Salmond described it as a “bridge to the future” The project was delivered on budget, being due for completion within a total estimated cost range of £1.35 billion to £1.6bn — a reduction on the previous estimate of £1.72bn to £2.34bn.
The opening of the bridge was pushed back from December 2016 until September 2017 due to high winds and "adverse weather conditions" delaying work. Queen Elizabeth formally opened it.
Those who signed the petition said, "it's the correct thing to do", with another writing, "I think everything Alex Salmond done for and tried to achieve for Scotland should be remembered for a hell of a long time, it’s the least the great man deserves."
A statement from the former first minister’s family, shared by his Alba Party, said that Salmond’s body would be returned to Aberdeen, with further details of the flight and public memorial service available “in due course”.
