Nicola Sturgeon arrested in SNP probe

Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested by police investigating allegations of financial misconduct by the Scottish National Party.

Sturgeon, who quit as first minister and SNP leader in early April, is the third person to be arrested as part of Operation Branchform, the Police Scotland investigation into allegations that more than £600,000 in donations for an independence campaign was misspent by the party.

Sturgeon, who quit as first minister and SNP leader in early April, is being interviewed by detectives as part of Operation Branchform, the Police Scotland investigation into allegations that more than £600,000 in donations for an independence campaign was misspent by the party.

Her husband, Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP, was arrested at their home in Uddingston near Glasgow on 5 April, and interviewed under caution for nearly 12 hours before being released without charge.

The police searched their home and back garden, and also searched the SNP’s headquarters under warrant, taking out boxes of documents and computers.

Colin Beattie MSP, then the party’s treasurer, was arrested and questioned as part of the same inquiry on 18 April and also released later without charge, pending further investigation.