Sheridan perjury court date set

The couple have denied the perjury allegations

Former Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan and his wife Gail are both due to appear in court next week on perjury charges.

The couple are due to appear in private on petition at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 27 March.

Mr Sheridan was charged with perjury in December after a probe into allegations of lying during his successful £200,000 defamation action against a newspaper.

His wife was charged with perjury during the same case in February.

The News of the World had published sex and drug claims against the former Glasgow MSP.

An investigation was launched after a judge said conflicting evidence in the trial may have meant some people were perjuring themselves.

Mr Sheridan, 43, and his 44-year-old wife have denied the allegations and criticised the way Lothian and Borders Police handled the investigation.