A legal bid by a severely disabled grandfather for guidance to be issued over assisted suicide in Scotland has been rejected by judges.

Gordon Ross, who suffered from multiple health problems including Parkinson's disease, died last month aged 67.

He had been pursuing a court action in which he wanted Scotland's top prosecutor, the Lord Advocate, to issue "sufficiently clear guidance" to clarify whether any person helping him end his life would be charged with an offence.

Guidelines have been published by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in England and Wales but they do not apply in Scotland.

Mr Ross brought his case for a judicial review to the Court of Session in Edinburgh in May last year seeking the Lord Advocate to set out guidance on what circumstances he would take into account in deciding whether to prosecute someone who helped another individual end their life.

Mr Ross, a retired TV producer and former treasurer of the Humanist Society Scotland, also suffered heart problems, diabetes and peripheral neuropathy.

But a judge dismissed the petition, saying the policy is "consonant with the rule of law".

Mr Ross’ appeal against the decision was heard by three judges in December, with Mr Ross's legal team arguing that the Lord Advocate's "failure" to produce guidelines is incompatible with the disabled man's rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Judges have now refused the appeal, saying the criminal law in relation to assisted suicide in Scotland is clear.

Scotland's senior judge said on Friday that the law already sets out what constitutes a crime in such cases.

Lord Carloway said: "The criminal law in relation to assisted suicide in Scotland is clear. It is not a crime 'to assist' another to commit suicide.

"However, if a person does something which he knows will cause the death of another person, he will be guilty of homicide if his act is the immediate and direct cause of the person's death."

Campaigners at Friends At The End (FATE), which is calling for a change in the law, described the decision as a “slap in the face”.

FATE campaigner Bob Scott said: "Although Gordon died last month, his family, as well as his friends at FATE and the Humanist Society Scotland, had hoped that the appeal court judges would overturn the previous decision by the Court of Session and compel the Lord Advocate to issue detailed guidance on the law around assisted dying as exists in England.

"This would have been a fitting legacy after Gordon’s long legal fight."