Colin Beattie Police arrest SNP treasurer in finance probe

SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested by police investigating the party's finances.

Mr Beattie, 71, has been taken into custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.

A spokesman for the force said the arrest was made in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP.

He said a report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Mr Beattie is the MSP for the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency. He served as the SNP's treasurer for 16 years before being defeated in an internal election by Douglas Chapman in 2020, but returned to the role when Mr Chapman resigned a year later.

It comes two weeks after Peter Murrell, the SNP's former chief executive who is married to Nicola Sturgeon, was also arrested by officers who searched his home in Glasgow and the party's headquarters in Edinburgh.

Mr Murrell was later released without charge.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.