I'd never harm country

Former first minister tells of her anguish after being held by officers for seven hours

- PAUL HUTCHEON, ANDREW QUINN and RYAN CARROLL

STURGEON ARRESTED - PROBE'S LATEST BOMBSHELL

NICOLA Sturgeon last night said her arrest was “a shock and deeply distressing”.

The former first minister was held in custody for more than seven hours after being arrested by police at her home in Uddingston, Lanarkshire.

She was taken to Falkirk Police Station and released without charge "pending further investigation".

Later, she told of her distress at being arrested and insisted she was innocent of any wrongdoing.

The bombshell is the latest development in the police probe into how £600,000 of IndyRef2 donations were spent when she was SNP leader.

Her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, and one-time party treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and released without charge in April.

There was no answer at Sturgeon's home when the Record called yesterday afternoon.

But neighbours reacted with shock at news of Sturgeon's arrest. One said: "It is so difficult to hear about Nicola being arrested.

"It's not something we were expecting to hear about.

"We are fond of her. We saw media gathering outside so we presumed something had happened - then we checked the news.

"It has come as a bit of a shock."

Another resident added: "There have been no police about today. The first we heard of the arrest was on the news. It was such a shock."