A psychology expert has criticised "patchy" counselling provision in schools and called for all pupils to have access to the service.

Mhairi Thurston, of Abertay University, said nearly 250,000 pupils do not have a school counsellor despite a recent report by mental health charity SAMH.

It estimated three children in every classroom will experience mental health problems by age 16.

She said there is a "consensus emerging about the compelling benefits" of school counselling.

The lecturer presented the case for increased access to school counselling in Scotland at a mental health conference in Edinburgh earlier this week.

She said: "School-based counselling provision in Scotland is currently patchy, with 14 councils having no formal school-based counselling services.

"This means that nearly a quarter of a million pupils have no access to this vital service.

"Scotland lags behind both Wales and Northern Ireland who have Government-funded, school-based counselling provision with a counsellor in every school."

She added: "There is a consensus emerging about the compelling benefits of school counselling.

"In Wales, targeted school-based interventions have led to improvements in pupil wellbeing and mental health, reducing levels of exclusion by 31% and increasing pupil attainment."

Scottish Labour is calling for all pupils to have access to school-based counselling and the Scottish Government is currently reviewing the services as part of its new mental health strategy.