PETER Murrell has been arrested for a second time amid a police probe into SNP finances.

The former party chief executive was previously arrested on April 5, 2023 amid what officers have called "Operation Branchform". He was questioned by detectives and released without charge.

In a statement released on Thursday, police said a 59-year-old man had "been re-arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party".

The National: Peter Murrell quit as SNP chief executive earlier this year amid a row over misleading figures

The statement went on: "The man, who was previously arrested as a suspect on April 5, 2023, was taken into custody at 9.13am and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.

"The matter remains active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media.

"For this reason, Police Scotland has turned off the comments function on this post.

"As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time."

An SNP spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate to comment at this stage.”