A bid to fund a new campaign organisation to fight for Scottish independence has been launched by supporters.

The Scottish Independence Convention (SIC), an umbrella body of pro-independence groups, parties and individuals, wants to raise at least £180,000 to establish the new campaign.

Its aim is to drive support for independence among Scottish votes "further than ever" - and consistently push polls above the 50% mark for Yes.

Since the 2014 referendum, when the Yes campaign secured 45% of the vote, surveys have typically put support for independence at under 50%.

However, a recent poll showed a rise to majority support for the position in the event of a no-deal Brexit, and 50% backing once any form of Brexit happens.

The SIC intends to fundraise for and set-up a new campaign group with a small number of full-time staff dedicated to working with grassroots pro-independence activists around Scotland.

The SIC aims to raise £30,000 to spend on setting up, branding and "public engagement research", followed by £60,000 for developing a nationwide strategy and hiring a research team.

It will then aim to raise and spend £50,000 to establish a full-time press and media team, then £40,000 to fund a "fully functioning campaign organisation for an entire year".

A spokesman for the SIC said: "This is what our well-resourced opponents have feared since 2014 - bringing together the power of the independence movement and getting more organised than ever.

"This is our chance to build on our immensely strong base and if this campaign set-up gets the funds it needs, its purpose will be to drive support for independence further than ever."

The new campaign body was backed by the SNP's Westminster leader Iain Blackford, who said he was "delighted" at the news, and Scottish Greens' co-convener Maggie Chapman.

Pamela Nash, chief executive of pro-union campaign organisation Scotland in Union, said: "The nationalist movement will never stop campaigning for a second independence referendum, even though the majority of people in Scotland want to move on from the divisions of the past.

"Poll after poll shows that people know we are better off as part of the United Kingdom, but the SNP and the Greens simply don't want to listen.

"Rather than spend time setting up an organisation in the hope of creating more constitutional chaos, most people would rather there is a fresh focus on improving schools, our NHS, and the economy."