Nicola Sturgeon's husband arrested in Scottish National Party funding investigation

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The former Scottish National Party (SNP) chief executive has been arrested in connection with an investigation into the party funding and finances, police said on Wednesday.

Peter Murrell, 58, the husband of former party leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, is in custody and is being questioned by detectives, Police Scotland said in a statement.

Officers are also carrying out searches at a number of addresses as part of the investigation.

A large police tent has been pitched outside the couple's home in Glasgow, while a sizeable police presence can also be seen at SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.

Last month, Murrell resigned from the SNP after taking responsibility for misleading the media about party membership numbers.

The move by Murrell, an influential figure in the party, came a day after the resignation of the SNP media chief Murray Foote.

Asked by reporters whether the investigation was behind Sturgeon’s resignation in February, Humza Yousaf, the newly elected first minister of Scotland and party leader, said: "No, I believe Nicola Sturgeon absolutely took the party as far as she could."

The SNP said in a statement: "Clearly it would not be appropriate to comment on any live police investigation but the SNP have been cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so."