Police Scotland investigating football crime officers over perjury

It is the second inquiry by the force’s professional standards unit into allegations that police officers have lied in cases involving offences under the controversial act, with the other still ongoing.

The latest case involves Celtic fans Wiliam Donnelly and Martin Walsh, who have alleged that an officer in the Football Coordination Unit Scotland gave evidence which they knew to be untrue.

The pair said that evidence was later cited when the Lord Justice Clerk, Lord Carloway, sitting with Lord Bracadale and Lord Boyd of Duncansby, refused their appeal.

Jeanette Findlay, a member of campaign group Fans Against Criminalisation, said she took their allegations directly to the police because the Crown Office “failed consistently to respond to me”.

She told The Herald that she and Paul Martin MSP had contacted Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland QC directly in an effort to secure an investigation by the Crown Office’s dedicated team, but made no progress in almost seven months.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland told the newspaper: “As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment at the present.”