The High Court judge overseeing a case involving Rangers has said he had been targeted by internet bloggers.

Peter Smith told lawyers that he had wrongly been accused of being a Freemason - and his wife had wrongly been accused of supporting Rangers.

The judge said he was not a Freemason - and he said his wife was from Edinburgh.

He has been asked to make decisions about a business dispute involving a sportswear firm run by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley and Rangers.

And said he wanted lawyers to know what bloggers were saying after a preliminary High Court hearing in London.

Mr Smith said his clerk had received emails responding to "various blogs".

"One of the blogs insists that I am a Freemason, which is wrong," said the judge.

"Also, my wife is a 'life-long Rangers supporter'."

He added: "She is from Edinburgh. The idea that she would support any Glasgow team is laughable."

Sportswear firm Sports Direct is claiming that Rangers breached a confidential agreement.

The firm, owned by Mike Ashley, has abandoned its £200,000 damages claim against Rangers in a dispute over an alleged breach of a gagging order.

Rangers chairman Dave King was cleared last month of contempt of court after a judge threw out a legal bid by the retail firm.

It is still seeking to prove that King breached the terms of the injunction, however.

Judge Smith said at a preliminary hearing in London on Tuesday that Sports Direct was claiming Rangers had breached a confidential agreement.

He said the firm had initially claimed £200,000 damages, had then reduced the claim to £50,000 and was now not claiming any damages but wanted the imposition of injunctions.

The judge said the retail firm had abused court processes during the High Court dispute with Rangers. He said he wanted to mark his disapproval of Sports Direct's approach after analysing preliminary issues in the dispute at a hearing in London in February.