McLetchie taxi claim is probed

David McLetchie is to be investigated by police over his expenses

A complaint from a member of the public about the travel expenses of Scottish Conservative leader David McLetchie is being investigated by police.

Lothian and Borders Police received a letter asking it to investigate, after a political row over his taxi bill.

A spokesman for Mr McLetchie said he would co-operate if investigators contacted him, but the official said he did not think it would go very far.

Lothian and Borders police confirmed the inquiry was at an early stage.

The police are obliged to look into any complaint.

Mr McLetchie's camp described the latest move as "totally absurd".

It emerged earlier this month that Mr McLetchie charged the Scottish Parliament for travelling to his party conference in the south of England.

Misclaimed expenses

The parliamentary body confirmed that Mr McLetchie misclaimed for a return flight to Bournemouth in 2002 and another trip to Selkirk in 2003.

The two journeys were unrelated to his parliamentary duties.

But Mr McLetchie insisted he had done nothing untoward and, according to officials, repaid the £250 sum.

Earlier, parliament published the full details of Mr McLetchie's travel expenses after the Freedom of Information Commissioner ruled that they should be disclosed.

Taxis were taken to the offices of Mr McLetchie's legal firm

The document provided details of taxi claims which confirmed speculation about regular trips he took from Holyrood to the Edinburgh legal firm where the Edinburgh Pentlands MSP worked at the time.

Mr McLetchie said the trips were legitimate because he carried out parliamentary business from his firm's offices.

According to the parliament, Mr McLetchie spotted the errors in March 2005, just after some of the details of his travel expenses were made public in a freedom of information request.

The rules governing MSPs' expenses have since been tightened.

It is said his taxi bill has cost the taxpayer £11,500 since he became an MSP six years ago.