An irate voter threatened to cut a Labour councillor's head off and chased him down the street with a running chainsaw while the politician was on the campaign trail.

Conrad Procter, 40, is now facing up to a year behind bars for making the threat to Councillor Paul O'Kane during the build up to last year's General Election.

Procter began hurling abuse at O'Kane, who represents Neilston, Uplawmoor & Newton Mearns North on East Renfrewshire Council.

Procter targeted O'Kane and other Labour supporters - including a 71-year-old man - while they were campaigning for then Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy on April 6 last year.

O'Kane, who was also bidding to become MSP for Renfrewshire South at the Scottish Parliament elections, and his campaigners were chapping doors in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, when trouble flared.

Procter, a YES supporter who had an SNP poster in his window which he took down following the clash, yelled, "Get out of here, red Tories! F*** off, no one wants to hear from you.

"I'll cut your f****** head off!"

The incident was reported to police and Procter was charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm by shouting, swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and threatening violence while in possession of a running chainsaw.

He denied the offence and went on trial over the claims at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Councillor O'Kane took the stand to give evidence against Procter, telling the court he was the one who had threatened to cut his head off.

And he told the court he remembered hearing the noise of the chainsaw as the threats were made towards him.

Labour campaigner Christopher Quinn also took the stand to give evidence against Procter.

He told the court that the man in the dock - Procter - was the one who had armed himself with the running chainsaw, left his garden and pursued them down the street, despite having failed to pick Procter out at an identification parade.

He told the court today/yesterday (FRI): "He shouted abuse when we were first spotted.

"We crossed the road, that was when the chainsaw incident occurred - the person left their garden and came out in to the street with it."

Defence solicitor Raymond McIlwham, representing Procter, made a no case to answer submission, saying there was not enough evidence to prove Procter was the man with the chainsaw or prove what had happened with it.

But Sheriff Seith Ireland repelled the submission and convicted Procter of the charge against him.

He called for Procter to be assessed by social workers ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case until next month.

Procter could be caged for as much as 12 months when he returns to the dock to learn his fate.

Speaking about the incident before Procter's trial began, Councillor O'Kane said: “I’m used to vigorous political campaigning but that level of intimidation and threat is disturbing.

“It was as if he wanted to chase us out of town.

“That is completely undemocratic. And to threaten someone’s life really is disturbing and quite upsetting.”